TIPS AND BENEFITS OF RAW DOG FOOD:

• You use only fresh food. (Not by products, chemicals, fillers, and unnecessary coloring and preservatives.)
• You can control the quality of food used. (I use the same organic meat, and/or game meat that I use for my family)
• You can serve a completely organic raw food diet if that is your preference.
• A huge reduction in food allergies in dogs.
• A varied, interesting and delicious array of food can be fed. (NOT DRY AS DUST, SAME OLD KIBBLE, DAY AFTER DAY FOR LIFE)
• A reduction in the “common” diseases that are prevalent today. (Allergies, Cancer, Stomach problems such as gas and diarrhea,)

Buying raw food for dogs can be a challenge, and here are a few considerations to keep in mind.

• Buy food that is fresh and safe to eat.
• Buy human grade food, fit for human consumption. (If you won’t eat it, then your dog shouldn’t either)
• Buy Organic. Fruits and Veggies will be free of pesticides and chemicals. Meat will be free from growth hormones and antibiotics. Meats with growth stimulants are not a good raw food for dogs. These stimulants can give your dog health problems or create unnatural growth in your dog.
• Consider how much storage you have, the shelf life of the products you buy and if you have enough storage for bulk buying. I have a special freezer for our game meat my husband brings home, and our beef and chicken from the organic farm that I can keep frozen for all of us (My hubbie, myself and the dogs), for up to 6 months.
• If you get a good bulk amount of fresh veggies and fruit, you can pre make batches of frozen portions for your raw dog food meals, ready to thaw. I puree these first, but you can certainly freeze everything fresh, then thaw and prepare it as you need it.
• When feeding puppies, keep in mind that they will need a higher percentage of protein in their diet compared to fully grown dogs because they’re at a critical growth stage. Puppies will eat about four times a day in their first three months. Afterwards you can switch to fewer feedings.
• Older or fully grown dogs will eat less often than puppies, but if they are very active, they will need more feedings or a higher percentage of protein as well. It is important to keep details like these in mind when buying raw food for dogs so that you know how much of each kind of food to buy.