- How important is this to me and my animal?
This could be a slow process. Be PATIENT and OBSERVE!
A healthy adult dog needs to eat once per day and fast for 24 hours every week or two. We fast our adult dogs on every Sunday so their digestive tracks can rest and detoxify. It helps to have a pattern. Then they know what to expect and they are fine without eating. They always have plenty of clean distilled water to drink. Sometimes we give them a bone to chew on.
Some dogs will skip a day of eating on their own. These are usually single animal households. These dogs are not under pressure to consume their food before their “house mate” eats everyone else’s food. Don’t be alarmed. If they are acting normal there’s no reason to be concerned. They will eat eventually. If they are lethargic and not acting like themselves, it is time to be concerned. Personality changes are good indicators that something is wrong.
Cats are different. They are much more independent than dogs. You DO NOT want your cat to stop eating. Sometimes cats just need exposure to different food. Put down the new food at meal time next to the regular meal. Eventually they will naturally investigate it. If you’re trying to speed things along, you might use a treat or some other type of “bait” to coax your cat into trying the new food. If your cat will not eat, is lethargic, and or starts to hide be very concerned. It is part of their nature to only eat what they are taught to eat so they are very comfortable resisting dietary changes. That’s why we feel it is very important to get them use to changes in their diet from when they are very young.
Now don’t get overwhelmed with the details. One step at a time, get your companion transitioned to eating fresh wholesome raw food.
We recommend feeding organic meat and veggies whenever possible. Sometimes organic is not readily available in your area. Don’t let that stop you. It is far better to feed raw meat and veggies whether they are organic or the meat and veggies sold at most grocery stores. RAW is the operative word here.
- Is it important enough to commit to it for 3 weeks,
3 months, or 3 years?
- Is it important enough to step out of my comfort zone
and ultimately improve my companions quality of life?
Converting your companion’s diet is not for the faint of heart.
Our animals are very perceptive and will sense any reluctance buried beneath our exterior continence. Therefore any lack of commitment will forestall a successful outcome. Decide how long you will commit to this project. The rewards will be great. Your companion will quickly show the “benefits”. Once you get into the flow of feeding raw food it will be as natural as mixing up an already prepared salad…just add some water (dressing), a little this and a little that, mix, and serve.
Be prepared to experiment.
Be prepared to experiment.
Cats and dogs thrive on the same raw meat to vegetable ratio. Although, some small cats and dogs seem to prefer the higher ratio of meat to vegetables (90%meat to 10%veggies). You may have to adjust the mixture until you find a combination that works for both of you. Some animals will need special ratios for their specific needs. Most are just fine on the prepared meals sold in stores, which is a ratio of 25% veggies to 75% meat. For the most part, dogs and cats thrive on the same recipe of fresh raw meat dinners. Try to use organic meat and veggies whenever possible. If organic is not accessible conventionally grown is still far better than commercial pet food or fast food.
This could be a slow process. Be PATIENT and OBSERVE!
The other thing about changing diets is that for most animals it should be done gradually. Just like people our companions have different likes, needs, and personalities. There are always exceptions. For example some animals are just fine converting to raw in a short space of time. Others will not eat the raw food at first. But until you figure out that your situation is unusual follow our suggestions.
We once converted one of our dogs “Cold Turkey” and she had diarrhea for a year. That was back in our hard core days.
We were not considering what she was showing us. We refused to feed her the kibble that was recommended by her breeder. We kept offering her a raw food meal until she reluctantly ate what we wanted her to eat - poor girl. It sent her running into detox mode. It wasn’t necessary to speed through the process. It doesn’t have to be that dramatic. A gradual back and forth – with your companion’s assistance - will keep everyone happily on the same page. Watch for signs of detox throughout the entire process. Diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, eyes and or nose running, and unusual amounts of itching are all signs of detoxification. A gradual approach makes life easier for all concerned. Raw food, though great for our companions, can be a shock to their digestive track. If you existed on only processed food you would experience withdrawal and or detox once you started a “fresh food” diet. Converting is a matter of weaning our companions off their present food onto their species appropriate diet gradually.
You might have to be FIRM.
We were not considering what she was showing us. We refused to feed her the kibble that was recommended by her breeder. We kept offering her a raw food meal until she reluctantly ate what we wanted her to eat - poor girl. It sent her running into detox mode. It wasn’t necessary to speed through the process. It doesn’t have to be that dramatic. A gradual back and forth – with your companion’s assistance - will keep everyone happily on the same page. Watch for signs of detox throughout the entire process. Diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, eyes and or nose running, and unusual amounts of itching are all signs of detoxification. A gradual approach makes life easier for all concerned. Raw food, though great for our companions, can be a shock to their digestive track. If you existed on only processed food you would experience withdrawal and or detox once you started a “fresh food” diet. Converting is a matter of weaning our companions off their present food onto their species appropriate diet gradually.
You might have to be FIRM.
If after the conversion process you have an animal that eats the food sometimes and not other times or an animal that is not always hungry at meal time... eliminate all treats and any other food sources. Smaller animals especially fill up quickly on treats. Animals are smart. They can be reluctant to eat their meal when they can depend on filling up on treats later. Most animals take to the raw food quickly.
Cats that are indoor/outdoor animals have already experienced raw food because they are natural hunters. Nature has a way of protecting these animals that kill for sport. They will only eat what they are taught to eat. This fact can make indoor cats a challenge to convert to raw. Be patient. You’ll be happy with the results once you see the difference raw food makes in their quality of life.
By feeding raw food dinners we are trying to duplicate what our companions would eat in the wild. There they would consume most if not all of their prey. They would eat the skeleton as well as the fur. In our attempt to mimic Nature we have to add calcium or ground bone to the dinner. Raw meat is high in phosphorus. Calcium is needed to balance out all that phosphorus. Enzymes and probiotics are needed to ensure your animal is assimilating all that good food you are feeding. Animals in the wild would get this from the gut of their prey.
Cows graze. Cats and dogs in the wild do not. Feed an adult cat/dog only once per day unless the animal is sick or underweight. Cats and dogs are designed to gorge when there’s food and fast when there’s not. We all know puppies and kittens need to eat multiple times throughout the day. They are growing so fast they have to consume amounts of food that will facilitate their continuous growth spurt. They need lots of calcium to support the speedy growth of those bones. Feed your adult companions at a time convenient for both of you.
Cats that are indoor/outdoor animals have already experienced raw food because they are natural hunters. Nature has a way of protecting these animals that kill for sport. They will only eat what they are taught to eat. This fact can make indoor cats a challenge to convert to raw. Be patient. You’ll be happy with the results once you see the difference raw food makes in their quality of life.
By feeding raw food dinners we are trying to duplicate what our companions would eat in the wild. There they would consume most if not all of their prey. They would eat the skeleton as well as the fur. In our attempt to mimic Nature we have to add calcium or ground bone to the dinner. Raw meat is high in phosphorus. Calcium is needed to balance out all that phosphorus. Enzymes and probiotics are needed to ensure your animal is assimilating all that good food you are feeding. Animals in the wild would get this from the gut of their prey.
Cows graze. Cats and dogs in the wild do not. Feed an adult cat/dog only once per day unless the animal is sick or underweight. Cats and dogs are designed to gorge when there’s food and fast when there’s not. We all know puppies and kittens need to eat multiple times throughout the day. They are growing so fast they have to consume amounts of food that will facilitate their continuous growth spurt. They need lots of calcium to support the speedy growth of those bones. Feed your adult companions at a time convenient for both of you.
A healthy adult dog needs to eat once per day and fast for 24 hours every week or two. We fast our adult dogs on every Sunday so their digestive tracks can rest and detoxify. It helps to have a pattern. Then they know what to expect and they are fine without eating. They always have plenty of clean distilled water to drink. Sometimes we give them a bone to chew on.
Some dogs will skip a day of eating on their own. These are usually single animal households. These dogs are not under pressure to consume their food before their “house mate” eats everyone else’s food. Don’t be alarmed. If they are acting normal there’s no reason to be concerned. They will eat eventually. If they are lethargic and not acting like themselves, it is time to be concerned. Personality changes are good indicators that something is wrong.
Cats are different. They are much more independent than dogs. You DO NOT want your cat to stop eating. Sometimes cats just need exposure to different food. Put down the new food at meal time next to the regular meal. Eventually they will naturally investigate it. If you’re trying to speed things along, you might use a treat or some other type of “bait” to coax your cat into trying the new food. If your cat will not eat, is lethargic, and or starts to hide be very concerned. It is part of their nature to only eat what they are taught to eat so they are very comfortable resisting dietary changes. That’s why we feel it is very important to get them use to changes in their diet from when they are very young.
Now don’t get overwhelmed with the details. One step at a time, get your companion transitioned to eating fresh wholesome raw food.
We recommend feeding organic meat and veggies whenever possible. Sometimes organic is not readily available in your area. Don’t let that stop you. It is far better to feed raw meat and veggies whether they are organic or the meat and veggies sold at most grocery stores. RAW is the operative word here.
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