Weaning a Puppy onto Raw

Starting your dog onto this a raw diet is fantastic, and it can be so rewarding seeing the physical changes happen right infant of you. But what if you’ve got a new puppy? Raw can be fed to a puppy at any age, and if you find a breeder that has weaned their litter onto raw - then great! All you need to do is pick your brand and whack it down. If you’ve picked up your new pup and they’re being fed a kibble or wet food and you’re not sure how to make the change, don’t stress - we’ve got you covered.

First of all you need to work out how much to feed. Unlike kibble, with raw you need to base your measurement on your dog’s average adult weight. Our preference of calculator is Paleo Ridge. Drop that weight into a raw feeding calculator and it will give you a range to feed. You decide what part of that spectrum you would prefer and go from there. Sometimes it’s easier to pick a rounder number to help with portioning. Because puppies are constantly growing, generally you have to feed more so they can burn that energy off. Depending on breed and size, usually around 6-9 months for small breeds & 9-12 months for large breeds you will reduce the amount of food they are receiving. This is dependant on what breed you own, as different breeds reach their full adult weight at different ages.

So what do we feed first? Generally you should feed tripe for the first 5-7 days. Tripe helps to settle the acid in your dogs stomach and works as a probiotic. This is great to know for the future - If your best mate has a runny poop, tripe will help!

After you have completed the tripe cycle, then you should move to a raw that includes a protein. For example tripe & turkey, tripe & chicken or tripe & beef. This is a way of gradually introducing different proteins to your puppies stomach without being overwhelmed. After trying at least two different proteins over 10-14 days, you can move onto any complete meal. A complete meal consists of 80% meat, 10% bone & 10% offal.

Many raw food companied claim that a raw diet is not complete without fruit and veg, but this has not been scientifically proven. Yes fruit & veggies are great to add in as a snack or treat but are not essential. However, if you choose to feed a raw that included fruit and veg in their composition or want to add your own then go for it!

 Things to Remember:

• The measurement you feed is just a guide! You know your dog better than anyone else and if you feel like they ran’t getting enough, or are getting way to much, adjust accordingly.

• Not all puppies will eat three times a day. Some pups just aren’t motivated by food (no matter how good it is). If you feel as tho your dog is leaving a lot or isn’t eating one of their meals at all, you can adjust this so they are getting two meals a day but with the same amount of food.

• If you don’t see the change in the poop consistency straight away, please don’t.  Worry. Remember, your pup has been taken away from their mam and siblings and put into a totally new environment. Sometimes it can take a little while to settle in. If you would prefer, wait a week or two until they’re comfortable in their new home before making the switch.

If you have any more questions regarding switching your puppy to raw or any general feeding questions, please give us a message or a call and we’ll happily help you out!

 Boston Barks,

Love, Dogs