When establishing a raw diet for our canine friends, aiming to mimic Mother Nature's way of eating, as closely as possible, can aid success. It's interesting to note that dogs share a genetic similarity of 99.8% with gray wolves. This information regarding wolves' diets is sourced from the research of Dr. David Mech, a leading authority on wolf behavior and ecology: Wolf FAQs & Answers | International Wolf Center

Let's dig deeper into raw diets:

• Dr. Becker Discusses Raw Food Diet (Part 1) - YouTube
• Why feed a species-appropriate raw diet?

• The Many Myths of Raw Feeding (rawfed.com)

Are you ready to explore or continue your journey into raw feeding, emphasizing easily digestible proteins for your canine companions?

You’ve come to the right place.

• For more info on how to transition go here: Beginner Guidelines for Transitioning & Feeding Your Dog a Raw Diet (thewholedog.com)

Do your Homework:

Before making changes to your dog's dietary regimen, understanding the advantages and potential hazards of a raw diet is imperative. Acquiring a thorough understanding of your canine's nutritional needs is essential for optimizing their well-being.

Below are the basic guidelines for canine raw feeding:

• A raw diet should primarily include muscle meat, making up at least 80% of the total intake.
• 10% of the diet should include edible bone.
• 10% of the diet should consist of secreting organs such as liver, kidney, and spleen, with 5% of that portion being liver.

Tip: One thing that I have noticed in my own pets, and myself actually, is the older we get, the less bone content we tend to need (think calcium/phosphorus). As my pets age I will mix boneless meats alongside our meat/bone/organ grind to balance the bone content in the diet. If you feed even amounts, 1-1, of boneless meat to the 80/10/10 grinds, you would be at a ~90/5/5 ratio. A 1-2 ratio, respectively, could be favorable as well, resulting in a ~86/7/7 ratio.

Contrary to that, puppies need increased levels of calcium and phosphorus to support their skeletal growth. How To Balance Calcium For Dogs - Dogs Naturally (dogsnaturallymagazine.com)

   Created excessively by Hare Today to assist with meat to bone to organ calculations, check our Raw Food Ratio Calculator.

Consult Your Vet (preferably Holistic, if possible):

Always seek the advice of your veterinarian before switching your dog to a raw diet. They can provide valuable insights and guidance tailored to your dog’s specific needs.

Looking for a Holistic Veterinarian in your area? Dr. Judy Morgan has a link and article here: Need a Holistic Veterinarian? – Dr. Judy Morgan's Naturally Healthy Pets (drjudymorgan.com)
Trusted advisor, Dr. Cathy Alinovi with Healthy Pawsibilities, offers phone consultations Pet Care Phone Counsultation | Healthy Pawsibilities
If you have health related concerns, make sure to discuss those in detail with your practitioner, and review the information here: Resources | Hare Today (hare-today.com)

Seek Nutrition Guidance:

Given our products are labeled for supplemental or intermittent feeding, seeking nutritional advice from a feline and canine expert could be beneficial.

I would highly recommend the team at ADF: Consultation Services (animaldietformulator.com)

Commitment to Raw:

Once you switch it's best not to mix, with kibble that is. Blog View | Hare Today (hare-today.com)

Start a Journal and Monitor Health:

A journal can assist in monitoring your dog's weight, tracking when proteins are introduced, bowel movements, and more. Monitor your dog's health and behavior closely after switching to a raw diet. Watch for any indications of digestive problems, allergies, or lack of essential nutrients.

Remember, stools can provide insights into your pet's diet:

• Dark brown stools may indicate red meat consumption. Introducing more red meats to your dog's diet can darken their stool.
• Black stool might result from consuming several meals rich in blood. Excessive blood in the diet can oxidize in the colon, leading to a very dark stool.
• White, chalky stool may signal an excess of bone in the diet, while loose stools could indicate an overabundance of secreting organs in the diet. What do we mean by secreting organs? Check out the information here at the bottom of the page.
• If your dog consistently has hard stools, consider boosting fluid intake, monitoring bone consumption, and incorporating fiber into their diet to help regulate their bowel movements.

Balanced Diet:

A balanced raw diet for dogs should include a variety of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. It's essential to provide a well-rounded diet to meet all of your dog’s nutritional needs.

At Hare Today, we provide a variety of over 20 proteins. Variety is the key to raw feeding. You are not aiming to feed a "complete and balanced" meal at every serving, but to achieve the balance over time by feeding variety. Dogs typically prefer red meat and rabbit, but poultry is also a popular choice.

Here are a few ground products that I feed my dogs on a normal basis, along with approximate meat to bone to organ percentages:

• Ground Alpaca/Bones/Organs/Tripe - Includes meat, bones, heart, liver, kidney, tripe and spleen. 83% Meat / 10% Bone / 7% Organ
• Ground Beef/Bones/Organs/Tripe - This is approximately 82% meat [to include muscle meat (73%), heart (2%), lung (2%), gullet (2%) and tripe (3%)], 9% bone, and 9% organ [liver and kidneys]. 82% Meat / 9% Bone / 9% Organ
• Ground Goat/Bones/Organs/Tripe - Entire whole dressed goat including heart, lung, liver, spleen, tripe and kidney along with bones. 83% Meat / 10% Bone / 7% Organ
• Ground Pork/Bones/Organs - This is approximately 73% bone-in pork loin & pork trim, 16% pork heart, 8% pork liver, and 3% pork kidney. 79% Meat / 11% Bone / 10% Organ
• Ground Rabbit/Bones/Organs - Whole ground rabbit includes meat, bones, head, and organs (liver, heart, lung, thymus, pancreas, thyroid gland, spleen and kidneys). The fur, stomach and intestine are removed. 75% Meat / 15% Bone / 10% Organ

When non-ground meats are offered, incorporating a raw egg with fish oil can be beneficial. Additionally, I include Green Lipped Mussel (GLM) powder as a supplement, particularly for my senior dogs. This can also be mixed with ground meats or combined with an egg for consumption.

Adding fur to a carnivore's raw diet can be beneficial in so many ways:

1. It is a good source of fiber and aids the cleaning of the digestive tract
2. When the digestive tract is clean, it can improve nutrient absorption and can support the immune system
3. Fur can help eliminate worms and parasites
4. Added fiber can help bulk stool and naturally assist in expressing anal glands

Here is our 6-month-old Lab on a fully raw diet, eating her first whole prey to include fur and all, viewer discretion advised. Before jumping into whole prey, make sure the raw diet is well established, ensuring a low pH, or highly acidic stomach which is important for our domesticated carnivores because digestive enzymes work best in an acidic environment and the acidic nature of the stomach helps to sterilize pathogens and bacteria. This is also important to break down bones.

Remember that urine pH levels should be around 6-6.5 for healthy dogs and pH levels can occur naturally at this level when fed a prey model diet.

Feeding Puppies

As a starting place, feed puppies 2% to 3% of their expected adult body weight. Puppies under six months of age should ideally receive three meals daily, while those between six months and one year can transition to two meals a day. Dogs over one year old can generally be fed once daily. While some opt for feeding adult dogs twice daily, this practice is acceptable unless necessitated by specific health concerns that might require more frequent feedings.

Starting Your Puppy On A Raw Diet | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Transition and Patience:

When starting your dog's transition to a raw diet, using a "cold turkey" method by fasting your dog for 12 hours helps ensure the complete elimination of kibble from its stomach and can assist a successful transition. Introduce one protein at a time, selecting a protein with a higher bone content. This choice can assist in maintaining firm stools throughout the transitioning process.

But keep in mind that you know your pet best and pets can be sensitive to sudden diet changes. If this is true for yours, start by mixing small amounts of raw food with their current diet and gradually increase the proportion of raw food over a few weeks, and decrease the current diet congruently.

Each pet's transition to a raw diet is unique, ranging from 1 to 6 weeks for full adaptation. While some have successfully transitioned abruptly with the cold turkey method and selective introduction of one protein at a time, others may necessitate a gradual and steady approach. Be patient during the transition period and make adjustments as needed based on your pet’s response. If digestive issues present themselves, transition slow and steady, replacing a small portion of the normal diet with raw and see how that goes. Then, gradually increase raw and decrease previous diet over time.

• Picky dogs are created, a little tough love can go a long way when it comes to mealtime for dogs in particular.
• Tips for enticing dogs during mealtime: Warming meat slightly by immersing it in a warm water bath can prove beneficial. Ensure the meat is sealed in a container before placing it in warm water. This method enhances the meat's natural flavors, making it more appealing to them. It is imperative to never cook bones or use a microwave for this purpose. Additionally, the freshness of the meat is crucial; ideally, it should be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days prior to feeding.

Food Safety:

Practice proper food handling and hygiene when preparing and serving raw food to your pet. This includes storing raw ingredients correctly and cleaning their feeding dishes regularly.

You should NEVER feed any type of cooked bone to your pets! Cooking softens the bone tissue and can lead to bone splinters puncturing the digestive tract.

Handling Raw Food

• Practice safe handling procedures similar to those used when preparing meat for your human family.
• Refrigeration time: 2-3 days
• Freezing time: Meats can be stored for a minimum of 1 year if the freezer temperature is maintained at 0°F or lower.
• Defrosting: Avoid defrosting frozen meat and poultry products at room temperature. Keeping the products cold during defrosting is essential to prevent bacteria growth.
• Thaw in the refrigerator. It's easier to open frozen chub bags by cutting down the side and placing the frozen meat in a bowl to thaw. It's important to retain the blood.
• For cold water defrosting, keep the original packaging intact. Ensure the package is airtight or place it in a leak-proof bag before fully submerging it in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes to facilitate defrosting.

Cleaning

• Before and after touching meat and fresh foods, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water.
• After handling meat and poultry, wash all utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water. Consider using a different cutting board for meat and poultry.
• To prevent contamination, store fresh meat and meat juices away from other foods in the refrigerator and during meal preparation.

A note on bacteria: Raw meat is not safe for humans because of bacteria like e-coli and Salmonella. But carnivores’ digestive systems have some natural immunity to bacteria, and can handle the bacteria in meat without issue, when in good overall health. Truth be told, bacteria is everywhere (take a sample of kibble and have it analyzed sometime, you would be amazed!) Dogs eat poop, roadkill and lick their behinds every day. Their system is different from ours. If we ate the stuff they did, WE would get sick. Dogs have a short digestive system made to handle raw meat and bones, the bacteria that is present isn't a problem for a healthy dog.

Quick links to help you with your Dog's Raw Diet:

• ​Ice cube trays can serve as a valuable tool for portioning small dog meals, dispensing supplemental products, or introducing variety in feeding routines. Tip: I like to add our Ground Beef Gullet to ice cube trays so I can quickly add to meals. Beef Gullet has known anti-inflammatory properties, believed to ease the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. I also like to add our Ground Fish to ice cube trays for supplemental feeding. One standard ice cube typically equates to one (1) ounce.
• Check out these trays as well which hold 3-4 oz. of raw meat per cube.
• Pyrex 3-cup storage rectangular dishes provide a tight seal, keeping meat fresh, longer and are safe to use in the refrigerator and freezer. Each dish holds approximately 20 oz. of raw meat.
• This pet feeder, with ice pack included, makes feeding while you are away a little bit easier. Each tray can hold up to 300 ml. or roughly 10 oz.

Vitamins and Supplements:

Cats need some basic supplements. Dogs do not if fed a good variety. For canine supplemental feeding, I include salmon oil or sardine/anchovy oil [also good for cats], when raw fish isn't already included. Cold water fish is high in Omega 3 fatty acids and great for the skin and coat. Fats For Dogs: The Ultimate Guide - Dogs Naturally (dogsnaturallymagazine.com)

If you have a dog with mobility issues, recovering from an injury or an aging dog I also recommend the green lipped mussle powder. Glucosamine For Dogs: What Are The Best Sources? (dogsnaturallymagazine.com)

Can Dogs Eat Eggs? The Truth About Eggs For Dogs - Dogs Naturally (dogsnaturallymagazine.com)

If you are looking for a fermented whole superfood topper for your canine friend, Gussy's Gut can help fill nutritional gaps. Created with Dr. Ian Billinghurst, the "father of raw", we recommend Gussy's Gut to support detoxing, aging and gut health.

Gussy's Gut | Daily Trial Pack - 3 oz.  https://hare-today.com/product/other/gussys_gut__daily_trial_pack__3_oz

• First time order? Use coupon code TRIAL to receive 5% off.
• Gussy's Gut - Fermented superfoods for your dog's superior health – Gussys Gut
• Mix with a boost of vital nutrients with Crude Carnivore's bone broth Product | Hare Today (hare-today.com)

How much to feed:

On average, a dog will consume around 2% of their ideal weight. Puppies will need more, senior dogs less. Feed calculator here.

Questions and Answers

Q: I have a couple questions. I find myself looking at more & more raw feeding forums, to be honest, confusing the heck out of myself!

Some say feeding ground meat is fine, other say no. One thing I am afraid of is a dog having a problem chewing bones. You sell both ground and whole meats; heck I see you sell whole animals! Is ground that bad?

If I decided to try raw, what is the best thing to start with? I'm so afraid of doing something wrong and I'm very afraid of my two dogs not getting all they need to be healthy. You have such an assortment of proteins, I'm at a loss of where to start and what to do. Is there a "starter kit" for newbies such as myself?

A: You will find conflicting info from different raw feeders. You have the whole prey feeders that believe you should never feed ground; you have people that will tell you to add fruits and vegetables so yes it can be confusing.

This is my opinion. Do dogs need ground up food? No, this is a human issue not a dog issue as canine teeth are very capable of chewing bone except leg bones of large ungulates.

However, do I think it hurts to feed ground meats/bones/organs... no. The reason some people say not to feed ground is due to more bacteria being on the surface of ground meats compared to non-ground. Also, the nay sayers will tell you that you don't know what is in ground and so you are better off feeding whole pieces as this way you have more control. Both these points are valid points, but I believe you have to trust the source.

Many raw food companies grind backs or necks and then add fruits or vegetables to the grind. In my opinion this is not a good option. Pieces of meat such as backs or necks are way too high in bone and not enough meat and in order to keep the food from causing major constipation issues, they add the vegetables and fruits. To me this is a way of "cheeping out" and is not needed in a carnivore’s diet. There is no nutritional need for carbohydrates, fruits or vegetables in a dog or cats’ diet.

I believe our business is the exception to the rule here. Number one, I only grind meat, bones, organs and/or whole carcasses and do not add vegetables or fruits, ever. We ground whole carcasses such as whole rabbit, goat, pheasant, alpaca and llama. Our beef/bone/organ/tripe mix is ground specifically to mirror nature, as I cannot grind leg bones in my grinder as those are too dense. Poultry such as chicken, turkey and duck are naturally high in bone content, so those are specifically ground to the 80/10/10 feeding recommendation, for health and ease of feeding.

At Hare Today we grind everything frozen. My grinder is a 25 HP commercial grinder [pictures on the face book link] and is capable of grinding frozen. The ground mix is immediately put into the stuffer where it portions out in the appropriate weights needed to fill the chub meat bags. As soon as it is stuffed the food goes into the walk-in freezers which is kept between -5 and -30 degrees.

What I typically recommend to people starting out is to do what makes you feel most comfortable. Most people do start out with ground products. Once feeding for a while you evolve, and you should feed meaty edible bones also. The benefit of feeding meaty bones is jaw exercise as well as the benefit of teeth cleaning. By ripping and chewing the meat the teeth also get cleaned [natures toothbrush].

When feeding meaty bones especially if you have a dog that gulps food the secret is to feed bigger pieces. If you feed very large pieces the dog cannot swallow this whole and will have to work at chewing the food.

What I personally do is feed a combination of both ground meat/bone/organs, some meaty bones and then also I feed some boneless meats and organs. Variety is the key to raw feeding. You are not aiming to feed a "complete and balanced" meal at every serving but to achieve the balance over time by feeding variety. You should aim for 80% meat, 10% edible bone and 10% organ meats. Out of the 10% organ meats 5% of this should be liver as liver is the largest organ in the body.

On our ground meats ratios will vary a bit as different meats have different bone contents; ratios can be found within our product descriptions. Again, keep in mind that by feeding variety, balance can be achieved over time. This is not rocket-science. Your dog is a wolf in designer clothing. Their DNA is 99.8% identical to the gray wolf. Feed your dog how wolves eat. Primary meats of a wolf would be red meats, and this should be the staple of the diet. Some examples of red meats would be beef, goat, sheep, pork, venison, bison, etc.

Can you feed poultry, fish, rabbit? Certainly, as wolves would eat what they can find but the staple would be red meats, and this is how I feel a dog should eat.

How to start. Rabbit is typically suggested to start with. Even though eventually you will be feeding more red meats then white, rabbit is a good start as it has a bit higher bone content and will help keep the stools firmer doing the transition.

Feed this only for 3-5 weeks. After that add a second meat source such as beef, pork or goat. Alternate the 2 for a couple weeks. Then add a third meat source and so on and so on.

When determining the amount to feed you base it on the dogs’ IDEAL body weight. My experience has been that smaller dogs typically eat 3% of their body weight per day. Larger dogs eat 2% per day. If after a couple weeks you notice the dog is losing or gaining weight on the amount you are feeding increase or decrease the food a bit.

Q: I have fed my dogs raw with success but wanted to try my own feeding instead of Premade, or other type manufacturers. I have dogs, and one has horrible allergies. I have spent quite a bit of money and many anxious days trying to find the right foods for him. He is definitely allergic to poultry, and most likely grain, but until he's allergy tested, I won't know for sure.

I like raw but have started seeing a holistic vet who recommended putting him on 'cool' meats such as goat or rabbit. Rabbit/goat is hard to find, so I've been using freeze-dried raw for practical reasons. Having recently rescued another dog, I want to put them all on the same diet, and really can't wait to get them started with your products. I really think feeding them the straight raw diet will eliminate his ailments.

Sorry for the lengthy email, here's my questions. Do you recommend switching your meats? I read where you said variety is the key.

My husband is squeamish about the raw to begin with, and he gets queasy when he watches them eat meaty bones. SO (sigh)...do you think the ordering rabbit and goat (with bone and organ) would be enough variety? I think beef/bison would be okay, but I'll double check with the vet; I'm also going to show her your other meat sources, that aren't poultry and get feedback. Is it okay to switch daily, or do you recommend switching meat sources daily, weekly, monthly, etc.? Lastly, thank you for making this product and info available.

The number of vets pushing kibble is ridiculous; one I went to hadn't even really heard of any raw diets. When I adopted these sweet babies, I wanted to give them the best possible. I truly believe you will help me do that, thanks again!

A: I am not a vet but Hare Today has over 20 years in the industry and that goes a long way as well. Emails like yours I get pretty much on a daily basis. I cannot tell you specifically what you should do with your pets as I am not a vet but will share my experiences and resources with you and you can make your own decisions.

When people tell me their animal is allergic to poultry it typically is not the poultry [or other meats] that is the issue.

A lot of the poultry [as well as pork] offered these days are enhanced. An enhanced solution is injected into the meat. Typically, this is salt, sugar, possibly MSG, etc. The solution is what causes skin and allergy issues NOT the meat itself. It is very rare for an animal to be allergic to meat. Read sodium contents if purchasing meat form the grocery store or contact the manufacturer if buying pre-made, the sodium content should be less than 100 mg per 4 ounce serving. Any more than that it is enhanced. Even labeling can be tricky as some producers label all natural and still enhance with salt which is a natural ingredient. Also, if buying kosher meats this also is very high in sodium.
Premade raw or dehydrated products usually contain added ingredients [my products do not]. These added ingredients are fruits, vegetables, herbs, yeast, etc. You must read ingredients. Fruits and root-based vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes are high in sugar. Sugar converts to yeast which can cause skin and ear issues. There is no nutritional need for either in a carnivore’s diet.

Allergy testing: Unreliable and not worth the investment. The most accurate method to identify a genuine allergy is through an elimination diet. This involves feeding your dog one type of meat only (including bones and organs) for two months, preferably a novel protein that the dog has not consumed previously. Then, gradually introduce a new meat into the diet every few weeks. This process makes it simple to identify a true allergy, although such cases are exceedingly rare.

Switching meats: Variety is the key to raw feeding and with dogs red meat should be the staple. Your dog is a wolf in designer clothing and has a DNA which is 99.8% identical to a gray wolf. If you research what wolves eat in the wild their primary source of food is large ungulates [red meats].

Squeamish partners: If you opt to have a carnivorous pet, it is imperative to prioritize their dietary needs in alignment with nature's design. If you prefer beginning with ground products for convenience, that is a suitable starting point. Aim to gradually introduce meaty bone meals as they enable your dog to engage in ripping and chewing, contributing to dental health by naturally cleaning their teeth and jaw exercise.

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