Raw Food Calculator

This calculator is for raw diet only and does not apply to kibble based diet.

General Guidelines:
1. Feed 2% of ideal body weight for low activity adult dogs, or for overweight dogs
2. Feed 2.5% of ideal body weight for medium activity, adult dogs, who need to maintain current weight
3. Feed 5% of ideal body weight for puppies between 6 and 12 months of age.
4. Feed 5-10% of ideal body weight for puppies between 1-6 months of age.

Check out my site www.dogsonraw.com regularly for updates.

Are organs and liver necessary for my dogs diet?

Yes, organs and liver are essential for your dogs diet and should be around 10% their diet. We are in a process of creating a calculator for how much meat and organs to feed, according to your dog(s) weight. Organs contain important fatty and amino acids , phosphorus, iodine, magnesium , copper, K, A, D, and E vitamins making them very important for the physiology of the dog.

In the wild the first thing wolves do is tear open the stomach of their prey and shake out the contents of the stomach.  They eat the tripe and the organs before moving on to tackle other big chunks of meat.

Because some people get very confused what organ meat is, here is my list:

• liver
• kidney
• lung
• pancreas
• trachea

Note that the Heart is NOT organ meat.  It is actually a hollow muscle. Tripe is also not considered as an organ. I will have another section just for tripe and why tripe is a very important part of your dog’s diet as well.

Liver has to be half of the organ meat. For example, if you give organs 10%, then liver has to be 5% and other organs 5%.

There are a few different approaches to feeding your pet organs. Some people feed once a week as a whole meal whereas others feed organs a few times of week splitting the weekly allowance into smaller additions to the regular meat. I tried both approaches and decided that the second approach works best for our dogs. Many dog owners complain that their dogs refuse to eat organs or how their dogs get ”the runs”. You could safely avoid this by giving them a small amount of organs a few times of a week instead of one meal. I usually rotate: one week liver only and the other week rest of the organ meat. Our dogs never get upset stomach using this feeding method and you also reduce the chances of having “picky eaters”. If you mix just a little bit of organ with the other meat, the flavours of the meat mix together and your dog will enjoy it, despite their prior distaste of the organs. In a separate blog entry I will post some pictures from my sample menu to give an example how much organs I put in our dogs daily meals.

I encourage you to feed organs from all types of animals.  The more variety the better. For new dogs on Raw diet, you can start them with chicken, turkey, elk, venison and beef organs because they contain less fat content.  Eventually you can introduce lamb, duck, pork or some exotic meals like emu and ostrich (if available) .

What is the connection between Bloat in dogs and feeding them kibble?

Bloat is a very dangerous condition in dogs which runs close to a 50% fatality rate. You can read about types of Bloat here (More Info on Bloat)

Lets answer few questions first.

1. What breeds can  get bloat?

Any. Even though some deep chested breeds are more prone to bloat like: Doberman, Great Dane, Hounds, and etc, any dog can get bloat at some point of their life.

2. How do I prevent bloat in dogs?

You can prevent bloat very easy, by not feeding your dogs kibble.

3. But why so dangerous?

Kibble chips are extremely dehydrated to sustain shelf life and can “ expand” in your dog’s stomach. Some kibble feeders recommend not to exercise, or give your dog water an hour before or after feeding times and give few small meals and this should prevent bloat, but the truth is that even dogs fed in this regime can still get bloat.

A dog’s stomach is not a dry environment. When the food enters the stomach and mixes with bile and stomach juices it expands. In another hand, when fed kibble the food stays in your dogs stomach longer than an hour. This means not to give your dog any water for at least 3 hours during feeding time and this sounds a bit torture to me. Then what do we do? Well, we don’t feed kibble. If I am still not convincing enough, then cook for your dog. Cooked food may not be the best for your dog, but at least it is better than kibble. Raw food has enough moisture, so when eaten it doesn’t expand in your dog’s stomach. You will also notice while feeding raw food, dogs do not consume as much water because they get plenty from the food.

4. Why is so important to prevent bloat?

Two important reasons to know about bloat. First, bloat has a 50% fatality rate, if caught in time. Too late and the rate increases to 90%. Second, treatment of bloat is very expensive. Average bloat treatment runs between $4,000-$8,000 in a regular vet office.Emergency Centers have been known to charge double.  I wouldn’t want to take the risk with kibble.

Is it too late to start an older dog on a raw diet?

Answer: It is never too late to start your dog on a raw diet and It can help prolong their life. Dogs who have been on a kibble diet for many years may experience a longer transition period and will experience a prolonged detox as I mentioned in another post.

There are a some physical condition we need to consider.  For example, older dogs may be missing a few teeth.  If this is the case, then give them softer bones such as: chicken, duck, quail, and turkey.  Avoid harder bones like: beef, lamb, and pork, but you can still feed them the meaty parts. A few time per week I recommend giving them meat and bone ground. There are a few options do do this:

1. Get a meat grinder and grind the meat and bones yourself . Some meat grinders could be very expensive, but you can get a good one in the $150-$200 range

2. If you don’t want to grind the meat yourself you can join a local co-op for raw feeding. Many of the co-ops offer Prey-Model Meat Grinds (which mean, meat, bone and organs finely ground together)

3. You can also give them bones that are higher in cartilage content than bone content. An excellent source is turkey neck which are very popular among raw feeding groups.

The only time I do not recommend immediately converting to a raw diet is if you just introduced a new dog to your household who has previously been on kibble. In this case I suggest feeding your dog kibble for couple of weeks and then introduce them to raw foods. The reason for this is that dogs are very habitual animals and a new environment is always stressful on them. Introducing a new diet while stressed might not have a very good results from the beginning. Many dogs that suddenly changed their environments may vomit or experience diarrhea despite their diet.  You don’t want to confuse these symptoms of stress with the those of detox from switching to a raw diet.

Can dogs eat eggs and dairy products?

Answer: Yes dogs can eat dairy products, but the ultra pasteurized dairy products (milk, cheese) have no nutritional value to the dogs. The proteins in them are completely destroyed by the pasteurisation process and they are of no benefits to the dogs.

RAW MILK: This is only really beneficial to puppies.  Most adult dogs lack enzymes that break down lactose and therefore it can cause gas and upset stomach. I do not recommend giving milk to adult dogs.

YOGURT: Like milk most dogs get stomach upset. Only Raw Yogurt that contains LIVE ACTIVE CULTURES, such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, is of any real benefit to dogs.  When our dogs have an upset stomach I will only give a single tablespoon of yogurt.  Any more can cause the opposite of the desired effect.

CHEESE: Aged cheese contains molds that can be harmful to dogs, and many cheeses contain too much salt for them.  If you do give your dog cheese then only “young” cheeses, low in salt, and in small amounts.

ICE CREAM: Like Chocolate, Ice Cream is an absolute ‘NO’. Dogs develop diabetes much more easily because they lack the necessary enzymes to break down the sugars in ice cream. This is why all processed sweets should be avoided.

RAW EGGS: Eggs are ok in small amounts.  Give them one or two per week, but no more. Raw organic eggs have beneficial, omega 3, acids which with healthy heart and joints.  Eggs are also good for itchy skin and give them a shiny coat.

You’ve probably heard the Myth from you Vet never to give raw eggs to your dogs because of the Salmonella scares.  However, as I mentioned in another post, dogs’ stomachs are very acidic  having a pH level very close to 2. Unlike humans, the dog’s digestive system is able to handle salmonella bacteria,. I’ve never had any issues nor have I heard from anyone who feeds their dogs raw diet, that their dogs have had problems with Salmonella. Most of the advice I hear regarding salmonella risks are from people who have never fed their dogs a raw diet.

Another common myth is that the enzyme inhibitors in eggs can interfere with digestion, but this is only true if you give them too many eggs. Some people recommend cooking the eggs to avoid this problem, but cooking the eggs causes them to lose the nutritional benefits dogs get from them. When you feed your dogs eggs make sure to give them with the shell. There is no need to grind them. Just crack the egg open and serve.   

Some dogs are more sensitive to dairy than others, like humans, caused by being lactose intolerant  In these cases I do not recommend giving them any dairy products.

My dog got sick after switching to a raw diet. Is this normal?

Answer: Dogs experience “detoxification sickness” after transitioning from kibble to raw. This is one of the main reasons why some people do not stick to raw die.  Raw diet is the most natural diet to give to your dog and provide them with a healthy life. Unfortunately, everyone expects a fast miracle when transition to raw and do not give time for the dogs to adjust to the new diet.

Some symptoms of detoxification are:

1. Itchy skin ( hot spots)
2. Itchy ears( mild ear infections)
3. Loose stools
4. Constipation
5. Strong odor from your dog’s skin, or anal glands

Do not be alarm! They usually go away in a few days or weeks. Some dogs may experience symptoms lasting longer ( if they were fed kibble for a long time) and some dogs might not have symptoms at all.

Some things you can do to help reduce these symptoms:

An oatmeal bath helps relax and nourish their skin and relieves itchy skin.( to make an oatmeal bath: Take a cup of organic non flavored oat and grind it with the blender. Fill a bathtub with a lukewarm water and mix in the oatmeal. Let your dog sock in for 10/15 minutes and gently massage into the skin . Remove your dog from the tub, without rinsing and softly pat it dry.)

For itchy ears, you can make an ear wash using 1 part organic apple cider vinegar and 1 part purified water.

If the dog has runny poop you can fast them for a day, or give them a cup of boiled, baked, or canned organic pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), or you can give them boiled or baked sweet potatoes (yams).  You can also feed pumpkin or yams if they are constipated as a way to normalize their stool.  These help to normalize their digestive system.

Also, avoid giving herbal supplements during their detox period.  You can continue the supplements a week after the symptoms subside.

How do I start my dog on a raw diet, gradually or a “cold turkey”?

Answer: It depends on your dog. There are several approaches to help transition your dog to a raw diet.

Puppies: In the wild, wolf puppies are fed regurgitated food from their mother, so starting by giving them ground meat mixed with ground bones you can imitate this feeding process. You can feed them like this while they are between 2-3 months of age.  Once they are 4 or 5 months old you can start introducing them to meaty bone meals.

Adult Dogs: Most adult dogs can be transitioned fairly easily.  I recommend fasting your dog between 12 and 24 hours prior to giving them their first raw meal.  After that first raw meal, don’t turn back.  You can start feeding your dog raw meaty bones right away or you can give ground meat and bone mixture. Every month you can try to introduce them to a new type of meat.

Dogs with sensitive stomachs: For dogs with sensitive stomachs you may want to make this transition more gradual.  These are mostly dogs who have been on a kibble diet for 2 or more years.  The acidity in the dog’s stomach is pretty high ( 2 pH), but dogs feed on kibble for a long time have less acidity in their stomach and this makes it more difficult for them to quickly switch to raw (or even between types of kibble).  I do not recommend mixing kibble with raw meat, but if you choose to do so please make sure you wait at least 8 hours between kibble and raw meals. If you feed once a day, try one raw meal and next day a kibble meal.  Do this for a week and then switch to raw food only.

It is normal for your dog to experience an adjustment period to the new food. Some dogs have a runny poop for few days so don't be alarmed. In some cases they can experience some constipation (as our dogs did), but don’t worry.  Their digestive system normalizes after a few weeks.

It is perfectly normal for your dog to throw up some bile while adjusting. Transitioning from kibble to raw diet increases the acidity level in their stomach. This is why they throw up some bile in the beginning. The bile’s function is to break the fat’s down and when high fatty meal is given even for experienced raw-fed dog, they might have increase bile production. To ease this, you can give them a little treat before meals (just avoid kibble treats) .

Which fruits are veggies are safe and which are not to give to our dogs?

Answer :There are all sorts of fruits and vegetables that you can give to your dogs although you should not make fruits and veggies a large part of your dog’s diet.  Some fruits and vegetables should be used with caution, while others should be avoided altogether.  Here are some examples of these different types.

The are some of the safe food

• All berries- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
• Cantaloupes, Watermelons, and Honeydew Melons
• Yams/Sweet Potatoes are ok but avoid regular potatoes
• Certain types of squashes such as Pumpkins, Summer Squash and Zucchini
• Some leafy greens such as Lettuce and Parsley
• Bananas
• Sugar snap peas and Green beans
• Carrots

Fruits/veggies  we should give with precaution

• Mango - Remove the seed. It could be a choking hazard
• Pears - Remove the seeds
• Apples - Remove the seeds. Apple seeds contain cyanogenic acid and are poisonous
• Cherries - Remove the seeds since they also contain cyanogenic acid
• Garlic - In small amounts it is very beneficial as a de-wormer and for keeping flees away, but in larger amounts it can affect the red blood cells and causes anemia
• Apricots - remove seeds, they contain cyanide
• Broccoli - These have the element isothiocyanate, which is fine in small amounts, but in larger portions can cause severe stomach upset
• Plums - remove seeds, they contain cyanogenic glucosides

Foods we should NEVER giver to our dogs

• Grapes and Raisins - Even though grapes and raisins are tolerated by most dogs,some dogs could be very sensitive to them and it can cause acute kidney failure, which is a fatal condition. I recommend not giving them for the sake of trying out to see if your dog is sensitive or not
• Onion, Chives, Shallots, Leeks, Spring Onions or anything in this family - These can cause anemia affecting the red blood cells
• Macadamia nuts - Even though the toxic compound is unknown, dogs can develop tremors and paralysis leading to fatal condition even consuming only few macadamias
• Chocolate (Cocoa) - The darker the chocolate, the worse it is for the dog. Chocolate contains an element called theobromine, which is a stimulant that increasing the heart rate and the blood pressure in humans but even more prominently in dogs. It can lead to a fatal heart attack in dogs when given even in small amounts. Dogs in perfect health condition can tolerate very small amounts, but you should never play with “ fire” and just because your dog tolerates it few times, it doesn’t meant the the 4th or 5th time around will not be fatal.
• Coffee - Can lead to a profuse diarrhea and vomiting
• Avocado - They contain persin, which is toxic for dogs and can cause heart and lung damage
• Hops - Yes, the ones used in beer making in small amounts it should be fine, but in larger amounts it can cause hops toxicity which leads to a malignant hyperthermia and uncontrollable fever. The hound breeds are more sensitive to hops toxicity than other breeds.
• Eucalyptus leaves - they are toxic to eat not only to the animals, but humans. The leaves can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and can even cause them to slip into a coma
• Rhubarb leaves - The contain Oxalic acid and Anthraquinone Glycosides . On its own, Oxalic acid is not poisonous but it forms deadly combination with Anthraquinone Glycosides

When you give fruits and veggies, try to buy organic or locally grown and give them to your dogs in small amounts as treats.  

Is it ok to give my dog fruits and vegetables while they are on a raw diet?

Answer: This is a very controversial topic. Some people do not give any fruits and veggies to their dogs and others give too much. To find the answer we have to go back wolves. First, let’s not forget that, like wolves, dogs are carnivores and their main diet should be meat. According to researchers, a small percentage of the wolves diet consists of fruits and vegetables. These studies were done on well fed wolves who did not need to graze on berries as some wolves have been observed to do when they did not have an abundance of wild kill. The wolves needed this small percent of vegetation because it gives them the necessary fiber to help the proper elimination of meals with heavier bone content. Even though the berries, grass, and fruits do not make up the main source of nutrients the wolves need, they still have an important role in their diet. If wolves eat it, why not the dogs?  Make sure that when you feed your dogs fruits and vegetables, you do so in small amounts. It should never substitute a whole meal and not more than a small percentage of their diet. I usually give them to my dogs as healthy treats each day.  For example, maybe a few berries, or a quarter of an apple, but no more). Fruits are more easily digestible for the dogs than vegetables. If you lightly steam the veggies, they are easier on the dog’s stomach than raw. Be aware that cruciferous vegetables are harsh for your dog’s stomach and give them only sparingly.

In another post I will go into more detail which fruits and veggies are ok, and which ones to avoid giving to your dogs.

Can I give fish to my dogs and what type of fish is good for my dogs?

Answer: Wolves eat fish, why not our dogs? They are excellent source of Omega 3s, good for the joints and the heart. Wild caught sardines, mackerel and salmon have the highest source of Omegas . Make sure you deep freeze wild caught fish for two weeks before giving it to your dogs to eliminate potential parasites. I personally recommend wild caught fish because it has a higher nutritional value of Omega 3s than farm raised fish. Farm fish are often packed with antibiotics and other additives. A small precaution with the wild fish. The wild caught pacific salmon can have a rickettsial organism  which cause Salmon poisoning in some occasions. Salmon poisoning could be deadly to your dog. The best way to avoid this is not to buy Pacific salmon The rest of the wild caught fish is ok, but make sure you deep freeze it for 2 weeks prior to giving it to your dogs to avoid other small ocean parasites.

Only give whole fish to dogs who are experience raw eaters. For inexperienced dogs, remove the head and the intestines (because the heavy fish oil can upset their tummies)

Take caution with lake fish: Make sure you take the guts out of the lake fish, because often they are hooks left in them.

Give your dog(s) fish once a week, but avoid giving it too often , because it can interfere with vitamin B absorption.
Avoid giving large ocean fish as tuna and swordfish, because of the high mercury content in them.
Try not to give canned fish as well. Canned fish is cooked and very high in sodium.

Can I feed my dogs wild game?

Answer; Yes, you can feed your dogs any wild game ( deer, elk, moose, boar, bear, raccoon, ground squirrel, emu,kangaroo, pheasants, quails and etc...) Wild game meat is very rich in nutrients and Omega 3s, very important for the heart and joint health. Preferably (if you can afford, or have an easy access) feed wild game only. If you do, your dog will not need any additional supplements in their diet. If you have a tight budget (like me) try to feed wild game a few times a month. The oldest recorded dog in the world, Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, lived to the age of 29 years. His diet was primarily wild emu kangaroo and table scraps..

Wild animals are generally healthier than their domesticated counterparts, but if you worry about intestinal worms in the meat, remove the intestines first, then deep freeze the wild meat for two months before giving it to your dog.

Is a Raw Diet a well balanced diet?

Answer: In order for dogs to have well balanced diet, it is recommended they have a large variety of meat, including all parts of the animal: head, feet, stomach and internal organs; as well as fruits and vegetables in small amounts. About 2, 3% of the gray wolf diet includes wild berries and plant matter. Even though some people believe that dogs don’t need anything else but meat , I thoroughly believe that since wolves need some plants in their diet, why not our dogs too? I am going to cover this in more detail in another topic. For larger breeds, to avoid a choking hazard with “gulpers”, give large pieces of meaty bones. As a rule of thumb, make sure the piece of bone/meat is as large as the dog’s head. .Later on, I will provide a calculator with meat-to-organs ratio and how much to feed. I will break the types of meat into two groups, domesticated and wild game.

Meat from Domesticated Animals

Chicken: Feed all parts. Avoid giving wings or necks to large and medium dogs if they are not attached to the carcass (to avoid choking with gulpers)

Duck: Feed all parts. In this case you can feed necks and wings detached of the carcass, but try to break the wings at the joint ( the anatomy of the wing could be a choking hazard for new and inexperienced dogs on raw)

Turkey: Feed all parts, but remove the skin. Turkey skin is not very well digested by some dogs. For small dogs, who are new on raw avoid giving the legs. Those are the only bones, I’ve seen actually splinter and even though I never had problem with those, nor most of the dogs owners I know, I will recommend giving them to your dog after he starts chewing the meat more thoroughly

Beef: Feed all parts with exception of the femur and vertebra bones. Ribs are perfectly fine, as long as you give them large pieces , connected together for the larger dogs. Avoid small butcher cut from the store, or ask the butcher to cut you larger pieces.

Pork: Pork is perfectly fine to give to your dogs as long as your deep freeze it for 2 or 3 of weeks to avoid trichinosis, which is caused by intestinal roundworm. Some people recommend never to feed pork, but I never had any problems with it and our dogs love it, and you will never do as long as you deep freeze it for the 2 weeks time. You can feed all parts and again - not femur bones, not vertebra bones. Pork is very rich meat and more fatty and might cause runny poops in some dogs with sensitive stomachs. You can start by trimming all fat and giving small amounts.  If your dog appears to handle the fat well enough then you can slowly increase the amount until you can give them the meat untrimmed.

Lamb: Feed all parts. Lamb is very rich also, so try starting with small amounts and gradually increase. One exception are lamb chops, which includes weight bearing bone, but lamb bones are not as dense as the bigger animals and you can feed it safely to the dogs

Goat: Feed all parts (no weight bearing bones as well)

Rabbit: rabbit meat is very good for your dogs, the bones are soft and you can feed all parts. If your dog is more experienced with raw food, you can feed the rabbit whole, including fur

In the next post will talk about feeding wild game.

Are raw bones dangerous?

Answer : Not as long as three simple guidelines are followed.

1. Never give your dogs weight-bearing bones of big animals( cow , bison, pig, emu, ostrich, elk , bison, etc...)
   Wolves in the wild usually don't eat the weight-bearing bones like femur bones . The only animals who can handle those type of bones are the hyenas with their powerful jaws.
   

   Weight -bearing bones are only ok when they belong to small animals, like any type of birds or small rodents (chicken, duck, turkey, quail, pheasant, other game birds, rabbits...)

   Example for weight -bearing bones of big animals ( femur bones, vertebra ( spine) bones)

   
   

   Non Weight bearing bones, good to give your dogs are ( tail , neck bones, ribs- short or flat)

   
   
2. Never give your dog cooked bones. When cooked, the consistency of the bones are changed and can splinter.  So NEVER give your dog cooked bones!

3. Always give meaty bones to your dog , not only the bone itself.