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Herbal and Homeopathic Vet in North Wales & NW England
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Natural Pet Care:Holistic Veterinarian

Questions about Feeding Raw



For personal questions try our vet's contact page
How much should I feed?
See our Guidelines sheet for the basics. But do not be afraid to modify depending on how your companion responds.
Remember all animals are individuals and amounts will vary depending on
Amount of exercise, age, weather, and much more.
If your pet is gaining weight feed less and vice versa but please ask us or your vet for advice.
How much does raw feeding Cost?
You can see in our shop the prices of various foods. Added together it will usually come out at a similar price to a premium dog food probably less than a veterinary prescription diet.
There are cheaper ways of feeding but you will have a healthier pet and lower vets bills.
How often should I feed my Pets?
Most adults dogs only need to be fed once a day, cats more often. Naturally cats eat a smaller quantity meal but more often than dogs, hunting small mammals 2-4 times a day.
You can feed more often many people including myself feed twice daily, it need not be the same food or quantity; perhaps a chicken wing and some trip in the morning and mince at night.
If you feed more often take more care with TOTAL quantity of food. While as is described elsewhere a low carbohydrate natural diet is much less likely to cause obesity it is still possible to overfeed.
What should I expect when changing to raw?
Less Faeces: A smaller, firmer less smelly stool is one of the benefits. So he may appear to be constipated. That said If he appears to be straining try feeding more tripe and less bone conversely if a bit loose less tripe may help.
Less Thirsty: He may drink less particularly if swapping from a dried diet. Raw foods are 70% water so she needs to drink less. With cats this increased water intake can be very beneficial probably producing less likelihood of urinary 'cystitis' and stones
Do you sell on line or use couriers?
Our products are on-line you can for you and our convenience order and pay on line through our secure card processor or PayPal.
We do not send through a courier we personally deliver product to your home (or office) at a day and time to suit you - we will contact you or you can request a suitable slot. If you have a safe cold place we can leave your package then you need not be home.

We deliver to areas in Merseyside, South Lancs, North Cheshire including the Wirral and areas of North Wales. Our drivers will have knowledge of our products and raw feeding and may be able to answer your questions
How do I make sure my pet has a Balanced Diet?
Basically:
  • Vary the things you give over a week or so
  • Feed 10-20% organ meat - hearts, liver etc
  • Feed tripe
  • Vary the meat sources
  • Add Pet Plus or Smart Barf and/or fruit and vegetables
Let me tell you more but do not worry too much ….

Feeding a balanced diet with a raw food diet is like feeding yourself you expect to get a full complement of all the nutrients you need over time. On the contrary complete foods are formulated to give a full range of nutrients at each meal often have to add oils and vitamins after cooking as the high temperature processing destroys so much. This is one reason a raw food diet is so easy there is such a surplus of these micro-nutrients in raw foods.

Feed at least 3 different sources of meat over a week as a rule of thumb, e.g. Chicken, Beef and Lamb mince. Make sure you do either feed a balanced complete pet mince with ground bone included or give regular bones separately 10-20% bone.
Feed vegetables and fruit
Give a egg every few days if you wish (see that question)

Raw fed pets will have a greater level of gastric acid than those fed processed food and the two do not mix well so try not to do so.
Cats and Dogs in the wild will eat a variety of prey over time and a variety of grasses, fruits and the gut contents of their prey also varies try to imitate this.
Should I feed vegetables?
I do feed my dogs and even offer it to cats veg, it is not essential but I feel widens the variety of micro-nutrients and enzymes available.
Vegetables and fruits are naturally a small part of a wild animals diet either eating them directly from the plant e.g. berries and herbs or as gut contents or even faeces of herbivores.
Feed most raw juiced or finely ground mixtures of veg or buy the complete pet foods from us or add n
Pet Plus or Smart Barf which are products designed to supplement raw meats and bone.

Carnivores do not digest the cellulose rich walls of plant cells so gain very little calories form plant materials. If you cook grains potatoes etc. They will get calories from these starchy foods but in some individuals this can cause problems.

You can read more should you which on Dr Zoran Jankovic's page which covers this in more detail. He is a fellow member of the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society and has more information on his website and puts both pro veg and anti-veg arguments forward here
Can I give Eggs or Dairy
Eggs - Yes they are a very nutrious high protein food. Too much egg white can in theory produce a deficiency in Biotin a B vitamin but there is loads of Biotin in the yolk. Cats some authors recommend just feeding the yolk for this reason but we have never found it a problem giving one or two a week.
You can read more about feeding eggs to cats here

Egg shells Some pets will eat these and some authors recommend ground egg shell again if your pet likes 1-2 a week fine, but do not worry if not.

Raw eggs like other raw foods can contain Salmonella - a healthy raw fed dog with good stomach acidity it will not concern.

Dairy - I would avoid this but there are many people who give their cats and wee bit of cheese, feed their dogs goat's milk, yoghurt and cottage cheese and swear they benefit from it. So is small amounts its OK - See also Table scraps below
Are Table Scraps OK?
Generally no avoid these but..
Small quantities of wholesome cooked meats and vegetables are fine.
Avoid the fatty starchy food e.g. Chips
Avoid completely COOKED BONES these are capable of killing a dog or cat.
I would sometimes debone the meat I am preparing for humans and give the dog the raw bone but not cooked.
Some human foods such as dried fruit, onions and garlic in fairly small amounts (a small amount of medicinal garlic prescribed by your vet is OK) so unless you have the knowledge avoid. Even more so with cats.

If you have a pet who is allergy prone, either itchy or prone to diarrhoea with certain foods it is even more important to avoid scraps. Even a crust from you bread may set them off with the gluten. Also it can lead to excessive weight gain.
What about Fish Raw or Cooked?
Little and often it is fine: 2-3 times a week I recommend. Dogs and cats raw fish is great but do not over do it, there are enzymes in raw fish which can cause a B vitamin (Thiamine deficiency) you can read more soon.
Oily fish 3 times a week is a great source of oils 'essential fatty acids'
Avoid fish liver oils though

Small amount of cooked fish are fine but not as good as raw. Tinned or canned fish can be in vegetable oils which may in some pets cause problems and heavy metals have been found in some fish. If they are in spring water a couple
We sell oily fish mince - herring either with another meat or on its own in the shop. Get the one with another meat if you have a smaller dog or a cat.
Do I need to add supplements to a Raw Diet?
If the diet is well thought out and therefore balanced then generally no.
If you follow the advice on the site and feed a variety of protein sources, organ meat, tripe and bone to approximate the prey model both cats and dogs will be fine. Inappropriate unbalanced diets can be harmful though.
Supplements to consider and some will give all the time are
Probiotics in particular animals prone to gut inflammation (usually diarrhoea). These come in a variety of forms Kefir is the fashionable one currently. The probiotic/enzyme combination we sell is Pet Plus
Oils Fish oils, Flax oil and Coconut oils are useful if you have an animal with itchy dry skin at least until the problem has eased.

Taurine and cats - see article elsewhere

I do not recommend synthetic vitamins and minerals they should not be needed in most cases and are not as good as fresh vitamin rich foods.
Do I need to defrost the meat before feeding?
Yes generally you should thaw the minces and bones before feeding.
I n particular with cats and those dogs that just gulp down the food without much chewing.
Cat seem to prefer even slightly warmed foods particularly when adapting to the new diet.
Defrost naturally do not microwave if possible as you can cook parts and denature some nutrients with one of these machines.
That said some meats and particularly larger bones some dogs will chew happily on for some time and can be give still frozen. Alway keep an eye on your pet see how she behaves if she swallow large chunks whole be careful.
Can I feed my Puppies and Kittens on Raw Food?
Yes cats and dogs can be started on a raw healthy natural diet as soon as you like. They can be weaned straight on to raw.

Suggested Guidelines:

• Feed approximately 5% of bodyweight, and up to 10% during growth spurts.
• Monitor growth closely and adjust intake to suit.Not just regular weight gain but also body condition (too fat or skinny)
• Raw-fed (compared to processed-fed) pets have small, firm poo; and they drink less.
• A carefully-planned varied raw diet is all you need as for adults.
• Please don't supplement the diet without discussing it with us or your vet first!

Bones and chunks from a month old promote teeth growth and cleanliness. Young animals will enjoy and benefit from them.

Puppies

Any mince but particularly lamb/lamb and salmon or oily fish as the main food, introduce some raw meaty bone e.g wings and necks after 2 weeks or so perhaps one a day. Then gradually introduce a variety of minces.

Feed 3 times daily up to 3 months then reduce to twice daily until fully grown when you can reduce to once daily.

Kittens

Young kittens do best on the raw complete minces which have a mix of bone, organ mince and bone. Start with chicken/rabbit/turkey and gradually increase the variety given.
Wings and necks can be even after a couple of weeks

Frequency: Below 4months 3-4 times daily 4-7 months 2-3 times daily Adults twice daily

We do not recommend feeding any dry biscuit to your puppies of kittens diet.
Can raw feeding make my dog aggressive?
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT RAW-FEEDING PROMOTES AGGRESSION IN DOGS.
For centuries, dogs have been fed on a diet of the very same livestock that they are charged with herding and guarding. Farmers know that feeding sheep to their farm dog will not turn him into a sheep-killer. 
The advice for raw-feeders is the same as it is for those feeding processed diets:
• Do not interfere with dogs while they are eating, and
• ALWAYS keep children away from dogs while they are eating.
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© Graham Hines
Graham Hines MRCVS
Dee View Road, Connah's Quay
Flintshire, CH5 4AY
and Moreton Wirral
Tel:(+44) 07903268439
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