Some Specifics

The daily amount you feed your *adult* dog should be equal to 2-3% of their body weight. Puppies should get closer to 10%. These figures are, however, a loose guide. Keep an eye on your dogs weight and adjust amounts accordingly. At ideal weight, you should be able to easily feel, but not see your dogs ribs.


Raw meaty bones [RMBs] should form the bulk of the diet, with organ meats (such as liver, heart, and kidneys) added regularly. The remainder - I'd say no more than 20% - should consist of fish, eggs, vegetables, yogurt, and the odd healthy table scraps.

Keep in mind that the emphasis of the entire diet is achieving nutritional balance over time. Every single meal doesn't have to be (and should not be) 100% balanced. Balance should be ahieved over several days or more. Also remember that if you feel that feeding raw is right for you and your dog, do your research! Get the books. Nothing written here is in any way intended to instruct you on how to feed your dog. Feeding dogs is not an exact science. After almost 4 years of feeding raw, I'm still tweaking Xator's diet. The following is a sampling of his menu...

*Muscle meat is usually chicken/turkey gizzards, or pork/beef chunks. I pretty much repeat the above every 10 days, but it is not written in stone and I substitute often. Estimates are roughly 75% RMBs, 15% organ meat, and 10% 'other' (fish, veggies, eggs).

Fasting is recommended for healthy dogs. "The body gets a chance to unload the products of inflammation, tumors and abscesses. Once the body has cleansed itself, the overworked glands, organs, and cells have a chance to repair and restore themselves." - from Picairn's Natural Health for Dogs & Cats.


Veggie Prep

Dogs are unable to digest the cell wall of intact veggies, so they need to be pulverized in a blender, juicer, or food proccesor. Xator gets the weeks cut offs from my meal prep and whatever leafy greens are starting to turn (about 1/2 pound of veggies total). Garlic, 2-3 eggs with shell, and one pound of canned and/or fresh fish go into the mix. I add fresh ginger and alfalfa sprouts when I can.


Supplements

There are lots of opinions about how often to supplement, what one should use, and wether or not you should do it at all. Most agree that some supplementation is neccessary in order to compensate for the quality of the foods we use (due to pollution, the addition of hormones, chemicals, etc) and the lack of variety in the diet. Following this train of thought, one can make the assumption that the more varied the diet and the higher quality the ingredients (home grown, organic, etc) the less supplementation required.

Xator gets vitamins C & E daily. He also gets B complex, kelp, and Salmon oil, though not on a consistent basis. Xator turned 6 this past February so I've been looking into glucosamine supplements.

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