02/27/2020
Variety In A Raw Diet, Any Diet, Is So Important.
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Some owners find their dogs "Aren't interested in their food anymore." And start to reject it at mealtime but will happily accept other foods and treats.
While this is frustrating it is very possible that it's because they are bored. Just as we do ourselves, it wouldn't be fair to ask our dogs and cats to eat the same thing every single day for the rest of their lives. Variety is key in a balanced diet. It's how we gather different types of nutrients.
Ever wonder why you need to gradually change your dog or cat from kibble to kibble, where the only difference is the flavour?
We have, accidentally, made our pets digestive systems weak and sensitive to change and new foods.
The more you change it up for your pets the easier it is to do that in the future if you need to, AND the better it is for them!
Providing a balanced diet with all essential nutrients is discussed below, For more information on balancing the raw pet food diets contact us at [email protected] Remember that all guidelines are not absolute.
The Basic Guidelines are:
Poultry & bone: Whole poultry and poultry carcass provide an excellent ratio of calcium and phosphorus. The correct ratio for dogs and cats is 2:1 with very young animals needing a ratio closer to 1:1. So, If you feed your pet twice daily, 8-10 weekly meals should contain a poultry carcass or whole poultry food items. If you feed your pet once daily, provide 4-5 a week.
Poultry Food items include but not limited to - whole/ground chicken, whole/ground chicken carcass, turkey necks, chicken necks and whole quail.
Red Meat: Red meat has different proteins, minerals, fats and calcium than poultry. Its very high in iron and is an important food source in your pet's raw diet. Heart meat is particularly important for cats due to its high taurine content. For dogs, 3-4 days (if fed once a day) or 6-8 meals of red meat should be provided each week. Less red meat can be fed to cats. They benifit largely from a wide variety of poultry & white meats with 1-2 days (if fed once a day) or 2-4 meals of lean red meat per week.
Bones: Bones naturally keep the teeth of a carnivore clean and free from build up and provide a high amount of calcium. It's mandatory they be included in the raw diet. It is best that large bones are included on days when your pet is eating red meat. Too much bone each day will cause some animals to become constipated so keep an eye on your dog’s stools. More bone will make the stool look whitish or yellow and chalky. Red meat and organ will cause a darker look and the consistancy is softer. This is normal. The stool will vary depending upon the meals given. We provide a large selection of bones.
Organ Meat: The most nutritionally valuable organ meat is liver. Including approximately 5% in the raw diet is important for providing essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Organ meats are included in a variety of our products from several meat sources. Generally, 10% - 15% of a dog and cat’s diet should consist of organ meat.
The rest is up to choice. As long as a balance of meat, organ & bone is met over time you can play with their diet options and add as much variety as you, or they, would like.
Please see our website for a list of different meat, organ & bone options to add to your pets diet!
www.furballschoice.com/raw-pet-food
