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RAW Instinct Pet Company

Frequently Asked Questions...

 

1) How do I get started?

Most pets do fine on a cold turkey switch rather than half-kibble and half-raw food. Remember to keep things simple for your dog or cat when starting. Start with chicken for the first couple of days and sprinkle some digestive enzymes on the raw food for the first week to help in digesting this new food.

Introduce the veggies after a few days of just chicken. If your pet doesn’t like veggies on there own; mix in with some muscle meat or organ meat, or with an egg or yogurt.

When starting a raw diet, most people feel a little overwhelmed at first. You may think it is complicated (and maybe even more expensive), but in time, you’ll find it's much easier than kibble. Many believe that raw is less expensive than kibble, and in the long run it is. You’ll spend less time and money on what appear to be today’s inevitable pet diseases.

You can do is some reading/research on the raw diet. There are a few books: "Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet" by Kymythy Schultze. “Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog” by Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, are good reference books.

I recommend searching the Internet or joining a raw feeding email discussion list. You will find many people's stories about how they feed raw diets and what led them to the transition from kibble.

2) How much do I feed daily?

Please refer to the Raw Feeding Calculator to best calculate the feeding amount for your pet.

3) Should I switch cold turkey or is gradual better?

Most pets do very well being switched over to raw foods cold turkey. It is recommended that when you are ready to begin, don't try and rush things. Take is slowly. Try to keep the diet bland and simple at first. This is particularly important for older/middle aged dogs. Start with chicken mince for the first couple of days, keeping meals small to begin with and don't let your dog overdo it. Once the dog has settled into this, add some veggies with a bit of muscle meats.

The veggies do need to be pureed as dogs and cats cannot digest cellulose. Cell walls of plants are made of cellulose, so for our dogs and cats to get the nutrients out of them, we need to crush the cell walls.

You can start adding richer food like eggs and organ meat after a couple of weeks. After a month on raw food, start thinking about adding supplements. We recommend adding digestive enzymes to the food when introducing new protein sources and when introducing recreational bones, just sprinkle the powder on top of the new proteins when serving or with the muscle meats if you’re giving a recreational bone after a meat meal. Digestive enzymes can be found at your pet supply or health food store.

4) What is the best way to start my older dog on raw?

It is best with an old dog to keep the diet fairly bland and low fat when changing over. I would suggest adding some probiotics to the diet to help restore good bacteria into the system to fight the bad bacteria and help increase immunity. You can do this by adding yogurt with live cultures in it to the diet or by getting some kind of probiotic supplement. If you are feeding grains, you may wish to either reduce the amount or remove them altogether, until your dog has adjusted to his new way of eating.

Studies on laboratory animals have shown that slightly underfeeding an older animal brings back many of the youthful behaviours.

Remember to start slow, adding a new food item every few days...build up the number of items slowly as you and your dog begin to get the hang of it.

5) What about salmonella, I heard that is a concern?

First, you will employ safe handling practices when handling raw meet products. Wash hands and surfaces after touching meat. You can disinfect counter surfaces with white distilled vinegar to kill 99.9% of bacteria.

Raw Instinct has added apple cider vinegar to all meals including chicken to kill salmonella bacteria. Apple cider vinegar is also a great supplement to include in a raw food diet as it helps keep your pet’s system acidic. An acidic pH level in your pet’s digestive tract will make them less hospitable to parasites and “bad” bacteria.

The FDA has stated that, "salmonella is not harmful to dogs". Salmonella and e-coli are shed many times in a healthy dog or cat. The high levels of hydrochloric acid in your pet’s stomach keep the ‘bad’ bacteria from overpopulating a healthy dog or cat’s stomach. If your pet’s health is severely compromised, consult with your veterinarian about introducing a raw diet to your pet.

6) What are proper food safety techniques?

Basic food safety techniques are really not much difference for handling dog food as they are for people food. Basically they involve washing your hands after handling meat making sure cleaning cloths are clean and washed regularly (or use paper towels).

7) When thawing, is there a point where the food is considered dangerous and should be thrown out?

Dogs and cats can eat food that would send humans to the hospital. Food that is even slightly smelly will still be OK to feed. But we can understand if that is difficult for you as it’s not something we’re used to doing. It is best to thaw meat slowly in the fridge, or to thaw for a few hours or overnight in a container on the kitchen counter or thaw in a sink of cold water for 10 minutes . Just thaw as much as you need for one day at a time.

Leaving meat out for extended periods of time, (like while you’re at work) might be too long and it could smell ‘off’ when opened.

8) Why are the veggies & fruit ground up so fine?

The reason for this is that dogs cannot digest cellulose. Cell walls of plants are made of cellulose, so for our dogs to get the nutrients out of them, we need to crush the cell walls. Chopping them up only crushes the cell walls on the outside, leaving the bit in the middle pretty much unavailable to them nutritionally. Cooking them will also destroy the cell walls, but as this also destroys a lot of the nutrients and enzymes in the veggies (even canned veggies), it kind of defeats the purpose. Freezing the veggies and then thawing is also breaking down the cell walls.

9) Is it OK to feed grains?

Grains are not a natural food for dogs. It is not something they would eat in the wild. Those grains they would have access to would be in small quantities eaten from the stomachs of prey animals that had (in the right season) eaten some grasses that had seeded. These grains would also not look like our modern grains - more like wild rice.

Grains are also full of carbohydrates, which can be easily converted to sugars. Cancer cells feed on sugars and it is believed that by decreasing the amount of carbohydrate in the diet, we may greatly reduce the risk of cancer (which is a growing problem among modern dogs).

10) What is ACV and what are some of its benefits?

ACV stands for Apple Cider Vinegar. Of the 22 minerals essential for health, apple cider vinegar contains 19 in exactly the right amounts. Some of these minerals are potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, sulphur, iron, copper, silicon and pectin. ACV also contains natural malic and tartaric acids, which are important in fighting body toxins and inhibiting unfriendly bacteria.

There are claims that the additional acidity of ACV helps the digestion process. Many dogs like the taste of it, and it even makes the raw meat smell less. ACV has been added to all meals to protect against salmonella and to aide with the digestion of bones.

11) Why is my dog drinking less water daily? Should I be concerned?

No, there is absolutely no reason to be concerned. Raw food is full of naturally occurring water! All the moisture needed to digest raw food is contained in raw food!

Dog’s and cat’s digestive tracts are meant to extract moisture from the food it is digesting. By extracting moisture from food, it helps reduce the incidence of urinary tract disorders, bladder infections and will reduce the volume of fecal matter.

12) I'm confused, do I have to fast my dog on occasion?

No, you do not have to fast your dog. In nature, canines (wolves, feral dogs, etc.) don't eat everyday. The theory behind fasting our dogs is that it gives their digestive systems a chance to rest. Most people who fast their dogs do it once a week. Many people give recreational bones or liquid meals on fast days to help their dog get through the fast day. The choice to fast is a personal decision. Many dogs will fast themselves and we must listen to them. If your dog doesn’t eat a meal, just put it in the fridge for the next meal. If this is accompanied by a fever, pale gums, or lethargy, consult your vet. But it can be perfectly normal for a healthy, active dog to choose to skip a meal.

13) The concept of detoxification, is my pet getting worse or better?

When switching a dog or cat over from commercial dog food to the Raw Diet, your pet's body may begin the process of ridding itself of toxins and impurities as it adjusts to the intake of proper nutrients. This process is called detox. Depending on the overall health of your pet, detox may last one week, one month or even several weeks...or may not be noticeable at all. The most common symptoms of detox include vomiting, diarrhea, bad breath and itchy skin. It is normal for any of these detox symptoms to get worse before they get better. Keep your pet as comfortable as possible during this process. Don’t introduce new foods during a period of detoxification. Include some ground pumpkin (canned is fine