Step 1: Getting Started with a Raw Diet

For most pets, faster is better!

Most animals do best with a quick change to a raw food diet – quite simply take away the old cat food or dog food and begin feeding the new Give a Dog a Bone or Cat of the Day Dinners.  The food smells and tastes delicious, and most pets instinctively recognise and enjoy it.  The quick switch is especially important for dogs and cats suffering from allergies or skin problems. Some pets are fussier, but we have tips and tricks for them, don’t worry!

Experienced raw pet food feeders suggest that you allow your animals a 24-hour fast, or a mini-fast, before their first raw meal.  This method helps with the detoxification process. A mini-fast means that you skip their normal food for one dinner, perhaps replacing it with a nice meaty beef bone for dogs or a chicken neck for cats.  Then you give them their first complete raw meal for breakfast the next day.  Please note that although dogs can tolerate long fasts, cats should never be fasted for more than 24 hours.

Most owners struggle with the fasting idea, so we only suggest it for the very brave!  If you don’t want to do the fast, just make sure that you are relaxed about the switch as your pets will pick up on any tension.  Simply feed them their new delicious food without any fuss.

Digestive Disturbances

It is best to feed your dogs one kind of meat (Give a Dog a Bone Chicken, Turkey, Beef, or Venison Dinners) for 2-3 days before introducing the next “flavour”.  This helps their digestive systems to adapt.  For cats, you might stick to either Cat of the Day Chicken or Turkey for quite a while, as changes can cause fussiness.

Either way, if you are switching your animals from kibble (pellets) or cooked food, don’t be alarmed if their stools are a bit mucousy or runny for the first two days.  Their systems are just ridding themselves of toxins.  If they still have runny stools after this, please check that their de-worming is up to date.  (For those who prefer natural methods, we stock a herbal de-wormer).

Pernickety Pooches

For old dogs, young puppies, or sickly dogs, and for some canine fussy eaters, a slow switch to Give a Dog a Bone raw food may be better.  With this method, you would change your dog’s diet over four days as follows:

• Day 1:  75% of their old food mixed well with 25% “Give a Dog a Bone”. (It is important to mix this well, so that it all becomes one “glop” of food – if the old food is pellets, allow time for the pellets to absorb the moisture before you serve)
• Day 2:  A 50/50 mix of both foods
• Day 3:  25% of the old dog food, 75% “Give a Dog a Bone”
• Day 4:  100% raw food

One disadvantage of the slow switch is that some dogs have sensitive digestive systems, and they can’t tolerate the two vastly different types of food in their digestive system at the same time. It may lead to vomiting and upset tummies – don’t panic if this happens!

You know your own dog best, so we trust you to choose the method that is best for him or her.  Just be sure that you are not reacting to any of your own fears about the new diet, and feel free to call us if you are feeling unsure in any way.

Fussy Felines

Cats are notoriously fussy eaters!  They instinctively resist changes to their diets.  Some cats will make a quick switch to raw food with no problems.  For most older cats, however, more time and patience is needed.  In the words of our very own Sharna, whose 3 year old cat Bella was a prime example of feline fussiness,

In the beginning, it was a struggle for me to make the switch – it took me 3 months. I tried everything, from bribery to begging her to eat the food, not knowing that she was picking up on my anxiety. But I was persistent, and now she’s a different cat, bounces around, clean breath, amazing coat, no smelly stools and to top it all off, she gets excited for supper time. Hearing your kitty purr while eating her food just makes you feel like you did the right thing (cause cats are fussy!)

So, how to convince your cat to make the switch? If you have been feeding pellets/kibble, your first step is to get it right out of the house (or at the very least, put it in the fridge). Dried cat food is coated with addictive flavourants that give off very strong scents. With their incredible senses of smell, cats will know that the dried food is still around, and will hold out for it because it is familiar.

If you have been free-feeding dry cat food (in other words, leaving the bowl out all day), your cat will need to get used to meals on a schedule.  Remember that cats are naturally nocturnal eaters, so your kitty will eat more at night. Feed the Cat of the Day raw food twice a day at regular times (with the bigger portion in the evenings).  Do not leave it out for more than twenty minutes.  Don’t give in to fear if your cat does not respond well immediately – you are trying to change a life-time habit, and it will take your pet a minimum of a week to ten days to trust the adjustment (it could take longer).  Trust us – it is worth pushing through!

If you need to entice your cat when introducing the raw food, you can use some flavour “bribes”! A sprinkling of parmesan cheese on the food often works well. Or a little bit of fish oil. If you are really desperate, you can crush some of the dry food and sprinkle this over the raw food. If your cat will still not take to the raw meal, try switching it to a cooked or canned food first so that it gets used to the texture of moist food. A wonderful website that is filled with ideas on this subject is feline-nutrition.org.

Don’t let all this talk of difficulties scare you off.  Keep in mind that many cats take to Cat of the Day raw food quickly and with delight.  Even the ones who are more suspicious of the change end up loving their new food – remember what Sharna said about Bella’s purr! Raw is their natural way of eating – it’s humans who have trained them out of it.  Give your stubborn cat some time, and its instincts will break through.

Dogs and Cats: Other important tips for the switch

For both dogs and cats, it is important to limit treats during the period of introduction to the new food.  If you really can’t resist, let your treats be bits of raw natural food: whole food like some chicken portion trimmings, a bone to chew on, a chicken neck, the occasional egg yolk, some dried liver, or a small piece of apple or banana (fruit treats are only for dogs).

Don’t forget to always provide plenty of access to clean water, though you’ll notice your pets will drink less on their new moist food.

Remember that plastic feeding bowls are dangerous, and must be replaced with stainless steel or a good quality glazed ceramic bowl.

One more note about stools. Once your pet has made the switch, their stools will become firm and white.  Don’t be alarmed by this, or by seeing them strain slightly to defecate. Both of these are good signs.

Lastly, remember that every cat and dog is unique.  You know your own cats and dogs best. Read as much as you need to, to allay any fears or anxieties you may have. Talk to us more if you have any questions. Then, trust your instincts, and theirs.

Step 2: Maintaining a balanced raw diet

Cats

For cats, we suggest you start with one protein type of  “Cat of the Day” complete dinners (Chicken, Turkey, or Ostrich), as too many changes can create problems. Add the next flavour when they are ready. The meals are completely balanced.  This does not mean that you can’t enhance the benefits of raw feeding by giving occasional extras – especially whole foods. Have a look at our Menu page for some suggestions! At a glance – chicken necks are great to get them chewing, and to keep those teeth clean.  An occasional fresh raw fish will give them an Omega-3 boost – we stock yummy pilchards for this purpose. If you do want to give your cats extra egg it is vital to remember yolk only – they cannot tolerate egg white.

Dogs

Dogs naturally eat a greater variety of foods.  Your basic meal plan for a normal healthy dog should include the full range of our “Give a Dog a Bone” complete dinners – Chicken, Turkey, Ostrich, Venison, and Beef.  This will ensure balanced nutrition.  We suggest that you feed one meat type for 2-3 meals at a time, for optimal digestion.

It is also important to add whole foods to their diets, to exercise their fine motor co-ordination, and to keep their teeth strong and healthy.  Your dogs will love our range, including chicken wings, necks and things, beef bones, venison ribs, duck carcasses, and turkey drumsticks and tails, to name a few. They should get whole foods at least twice a week.  Oily fish is a very important source of Omega-3 for dogs, and they love it!  Give your dog a whole pilchard – none of it will go to waste.  Some owners are scared of the bones in the chicken and fish, but there is no need to fear.  Cooked bones are brittle and extremely dangerous, which is why we emphasise that you should never cook our food. But raw bones are soft and flexible, and are a vital part of your pet’s diet.

Small pieces of fruit can be a treat for dogs, but never grapes or raisins, as these are toxic to them. Don’t overdo the whole fruit – they don’t digest it very easily, and it can come out whole in their stools.

If you want to have some fun, give your dog an occasional whole raw egg. They will relish it, shell and all. The first time we gave Satchmo and Kaesha an egg each, Satchmo spent ages rolling it around, trying to figure out how to break the shell. Kaesha, on the other hand, took it straight to the concrete outside, dropped it so it cracked, and licked out every last drop before crunching up the shell. Delicious!

All Pets

If your dogs and cats are not getting regular oily fish meals then it is necessary to supplement their food with salmon oil for Omega-3. Although there is Omega-3 in our food, the freezing process affects the levels, so we sell Salmon Oil capsules separately as a supplement. Do not use vegetable based Omega-3 (hemp, soy) as they do not offer the same benefits.

If your dog or cat suffers from any illness, please let us know.  We can help to plan an optimum diet for them, and can also suggest the addition of specific herbs to their diet.  We already have a variety of Special Recipes for certain medical complaints, and are always happy to research new ones for your cat or dog. We also stock a great range of herbal supplements, particularly for dogs and cats with skin problems, and for dogs with joint problems.