Raw food diet: How do I transition my animal?

If you haven't already, please read the "things to consider..."article before beginning to transition your companion.

For most cats and dogs transitioning to raw should be done gradually at first. You should take the time to figure out how your animal is going to respond. We don’t want you to potentially sabotage a successful transition to a raw food diet by suddenly putting down a plate of raw food for your pet without a gradual phase-in period.
Rather, we suggest that you eliminate any surprised reactions by your pet by “testing the waters” first. We recommend placing a teaspoon or tablespoon of raw meat or chicken on top of your animal’s dinner food that you have typically used in the past. See what she/he does with it. See if she/he eats the sample of meat along with the other food, and if so then proceed with the suggestions shown below. Note that if your animal is not attracted to the raw food sample, call us or e-mail us and we’ll share our experiences with you about how to convert reluctant animals.

If all goes well and you are ready to begin the transition process...Start out by substituting part of the typical size meal with raw meat or chicken. Remember, you are using their regular quantity of food as a guide or starting point.

(Diagram days 1-3)

On days 1 to 3, place a ½ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of raw ground beef or raw ground chicken on top of your animal’s regular food serving and see what she does with the raw food.

With your cat or small dog the ground texture will be helpful. If your dog is medium size and up, chunks of chicken or beef will be just fine. The quantity of food will be governed by the size of your companion.

(Diagram days 3-6)

If all goes well—that is, if no detox signs are apparent—then on days 3-6, increase the amount of raw food to ¼ the total amount of food decreasing the total amount of commercial food by ¼.




(Diagram days 6-9) Again if no signs of detox on days 6-9, then increase the amount of raw meat to ½ the total amount of food decreasing the total amount of commercial food by ½.
Yet another change is coming. For days 9-12, add in some veggies now that we know your companion likes the raw meat. We suggest that you start with a small amount of grated or mashed veggies. No frozen vegetables because they have a high sodium content. Eeuw! You can start out by sharing some of your steamed veggies if you like. You will need such a small amount of veggies at first, a ½ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon depending on the size of the animal and the total amount of the meal.

(Diagram days 9-12)

On days 9-12, the increased amount of raw food will include a small portion of vegetables. At this point you are up to ¾ raw to ¼ commercial foods.

(Diagram days 12-15) So on days 12-15, with very little signs of detoxification, your companion should be having a complete meal of fresh foods, consisting of 75% to 92% meat with 25% to 8% veggies respectively.

Most books say 25% vegetables to 75% meat. Cats and small dogs are fine with the smaller percent of veggies and the larger percent of meat. Medium and large dogs are fine with larger amounts of veggies because the serving size of their meal is bigger so they automatically get more meat in their diet. Let your animal guide you. Play around with the ratios of protein to vegetable until you hit a level that works for both of you. Some animals need special ratios for their specific needs. But most are just fine on the prepared meals sold in stores, which are typically 25% vegetables to 75% meat. Now is a good time to acclimate them to a calcium supplement. By now, you know the drill. Start out with a small amount at first then increase from the introductory amount gradually. The instructions on the package will be helpful in determining the amount of calcium supplement to work towards.

Transglobal Homeopathy, Health and Healing for animals pt. 1

This blog entry is an email correspondence that I wanted to share, between myself an a woman in Argentina.

Helena's email correspondence p.1 of 4

Hi Lita,
My name is Helena. I'm living in Buenas Aires, Argentina with two cats Fleur (3 years) and Bug (9 years old) both are spayed females rescued from the street.

Last week Fleur woke up like a different animal. She was completely lethargic and refused food - completely unlike her usual active self- no vomiting or diarrhea, just completely out of it. I took her in to the vet and they ran a blood test. The results came back positive for Bartonella and Fleur is now on the antibiotic Doxiclina. The test also showed that her white cells were very low. I have to take her back in for a follow up when the antibiotics are finished and the vet also suggested I have her tested for possible immune disorders. I'm really scared but will of course follow up and get all the tests. She has never been sick a day in her life, not even a sniffle! I have had to board them sometimes when I travel- they go to a cage free boarding facility, the woman knows them there and they have had contact with other cats there. If the cats are social and interact okay she lets them hang out together so long as they are vaccinated and not showing any signs of illness.
My question is have you had good results with cat illnesses and homeopathy? Also I would like to put my cats on a raw food diet-but they mostly refuse any raw treats such as meat, fish or chicken- they are both real kibble addicts. Both eat Science Diet original adult cat food. Any suggestions on diet and how to switch them over?
They are both vaccinated with the triple and rabies shots. They have access to a small garden but go out only when I'm at home and are always in at night. Bug has received leukemia shots up until 5 five years ago but I stopped because she was the only cat at the time and I heard they caused sarcomas. Fleur was never vaccinated for leukemia. I lost a cat to vaccine shock and am wary of over vaccinating. Neither one was ever tested for immune disorders. Bug the older one was in bad shape when I found her 9 years ago, suffering from a bad respiratory problem that involved lots of snot and has had a problem with gingivitis and tooth loss from any early age. I brush her remaining teeth and gums with CET pet toothpaste - the vet here told me the problem ties with the cold she had when she was little. She is big and strong though and has never been sick since. Both are under Advantage flea control and they were wormed 5 months ago, I used Profender.
There are a few homeopathic vets here and I plan on consulting with some of them as well. V. spoke so highly of you and suggested I get in touch with you. Any help, suggestions, or info would be greatly appreciated. I love my cats very much and want to do what's best for them. I'm very worried about my little Fleur- she has never been sick before- although nervous and shy by nature-she was always the picture of cat health:)! She seems to be doing a lot better and eating again.
Thanks,
Helena - Bug and Fleur's adopted mom



Reply

Lita Caesar to H. Feb 18

Hi Helena,
Nice to meet you.
Cat's on raw food have better blood test results than cat's on commercial food. Cat's that are fed a home cooked diet are healthier than cat's on commercial food. I recommend making their food because at least you know what's in the food.
I'm not a doctor. I'm a certified homeopath. Cat's do very well with homeopathics. All animals as well as people respond well, even fish and plants do. Even if your cat's insist on the kibble they will be healthier with homeopathics than drugs. I've been able to improve lab test results for horses that the Vet said were dying. Homeopathy is an amazing science. Remedies can "mop up" some of the damage caused by drugs or vaccines.
I don't believe in vaccinating on a regular basis. Between the advantage or pest control, the medications, and the vaccines it is too much for "any body" to deal with. To make things harder, animals are much more sensitive than people are. Medication doesn't really cure a situation. It masks it by pushing the problem deeper into the system. If we give the "body" the necessary resources it will do a better job of controlling problems in the system that any medication.
To acclimate your cats to raw just start putting a minute amount of raw meat on top of their kibble or in a dish right next to their food at meal time. Start out with 1/2 a teaspoon and see how they respond to the raw meat. Keep doing this so they get the idea that you want them to try the new food. Be careful not to overwhelm them. Under no circumstance do you want them to stop eating. Be mindful of what you're thinking in this process. Animals do not speak a language. They read thoughts. They are very intuitive. That's how they survive on their own. So it's important to control you reactions and thoughts when trying to get them to do what you want them to do. Some cats convert right away because they have been outdoor cats and they have experience with raw food, being natural hunters. Some cats are a real challenge to convert because they instinctively only eat what they are taught to eat. These take patience on the owner's part. Just know they can be retaught.
Lastly, I do energy work because animals cannot tell me where I should start to look. I need some of their hair/fur or a photo of only them in it. The fur or picture will help me connect to their energy. I match their energy with supplements or remedies that "compliment" their energy.
I hope this answers your questions.
Lita

Click here to read pt. 2

LITA CAESAR, CHM - Audio Interview: Raw Food Diet for Pets, Pet Nutrition Homeopathy for Cats and Dogs

Click the play button to hear Lita's audio interview

LitaCaesar.com

Things To Consider Before Transitioning Your Animal To A Raw Food Diet

Ask yourself:

- How important is this to me and my animal?

- 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.

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.

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.

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.