The Raw Food Diet - Made Simple

When we first started the raw food diet with our dogs we found it cumbersome, arduous and very expensive. We were frustrated when no one could tell us an exact formula for feeding our dogs. Someone would tell us add this or that and then someone else would tell us we didn’t need to add those things. So we finally decided to educate ourselves and read a couple of books.  We realized that all you really need to know to feed raw food is the concept, and that concept is that what dogs eat in the wild is small prey. So you just have to consider what the carcass of a small prey animal consists of (ie: bones, muscle, organs, stomach contents, etc.) and feed accordingly.

To simplify, the raw food diet needs to include the same items that make up the carcass of a small prey animal. The following are examples of what we feed and no where near a complete list of what you can feed:
 

• Raw Meaty Bones – Duck Necks, Turkey Necks, Chicken Backs, Chicken Wings, Lamb Ribs, Chicken Necks, Mackerel (or any dark skinned fish, but no raw salmon please) just to name a few.
   
• Muscle Meat – Ground Beef, Ground Turkey, Ground Pork, Heart, Tripe, Etc.
   
• Organ Meat – Liver, Kidneys, Etc.
   
• Vegetables – Must be processed through a food processor, or juicer, so they are    broken down the same as they would be in the stomach of a small prey animal.  Vegetables that we use are: carrots, celery, parsley, broccoli, zucchini, cabbage,squash, green beans, kale, garlic, yams, green/red leaf lettuce, kelp, and alfalfa.  We use different combinations of these vegetables, and occasionally add fruits, but we always add organic kelp and alfalfa to each Veggie Mix.
   
• Fruits – Must be processed through a food processor, or juicer, so they are broken down the same as they would be in the stomach of a small prey animal. Fruits that we use are: apples (but no apple seeds), blueberries, mango, and cranberries.   

We feed a variety of the above items, trying to emulate the diet they would eat in the wild. We don’t worry about giving the dogs a balanced diet every day, as long as overall, their diet is balanced. Here’s a sample of what we may feed our dogs for a week:              

Recipe for the Meat & Veggie Mix

• 10 lbs Ground Beef  (can use Ground Chicken, Ground Turkey, Ground Pork, Etc)
• 3 lbs Pureed Vegetables and Fruits

This recipe makes about 14 meals (1 ½ to 2 cups each)

Supplements to be added to each meal

• 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 1 tbsp Fish Oil  (We use Salmon Oil and Sardine Oil)
• 500 mg Ascorbic Acid with Antioxidant Bioflavonoids (Vitamin C)
• 400 IU Vitamin E (Only if you are using Salmon Oil as your Fish Oil)

If you prefer to use a prepared mixture, here is a recipe for “Europa”, a grain-free dog food mix of vegetables, fruits, herbs and calcium.

Recipe for Europa

• 7 cups water
• 5 cups Europa 
• 5 cups Ground Beef (can use Ground Chicken, Ground Turkey, Ground Pork, etc.)1 can Salmon  (drained)
• ¼ cup Virgin Olive Oil

Add the same supplements to a meal of Europa as we do for the Meat & Veggie Mix

This recipe makes about 11 meals (1 ½ to 2 cups each)

Please feel free to email or call us if you have questions about the Raw Food Diet.