8 Steps to Switching from Kibble to Raw Feeding for Dogs

When switching a kibble fed dog over to Raw, this is our general protocol. This is for an adult dog with no life threatening medical conditions. If your dog has a severe medical condition, you CAN still switch you will just need to modify some things and be more careful. Consulting a Naturopath, Carnivore Nutrition Consultant/Coach or other RAW TRAINED Veterinary Professional is advisable in those situations. Switching a puppy is also a little different, so please watch for the "Switching a puppy" tips included if you have a puppy or a tiny toy breed.  

1. Educate yourself on raw feeding, the healing crisis, your pets medical conditions. Don’t hesitate to ask questions.

here are 2 articles about the healing crisis / Detox. http://www.thewholedog.org/artdetox.html

http://www.thewholedog.org/artHealingCrisis.html

2. Fast for 24 hours minimum. Up to 48 hours is ideal(aka skipping one whole day of feeding). This gives the old stuff time to get out and starts the digestive juices producing more enzymes for proper digestion.  Make the switch cold turkey, do not mix kibble/canned/cooked food with raw food. One day you feed kibble, skip a day or at least 24 hours, and then feed a whole meal of raw. It is fine for a healthy adult dog to miss a whole day’s food. It will not hurt them, it may make YOU feel bad, but they will be fine.
Fasting will also ensure your  dog is truly hungry, so they will be more likely to dig right in to the raw. Just because your dog is a voracious kibble eater, does NOT mean he will take to raw right away, likewise, just because your pet is a  super picky eater, doesn’t mean she will automatically turn her nose up a  meaty chicken leg!
*PUPPY TIP* Do not fast a puppy or tiny toy breed. they are at a higher risk of hypoglycemia. Just feed them raw at the next meal when you decide to start them.  

3. Pick a meat/protein (beef, chicken, deer) Your next thing to do is pick what protein you are going to start with. Many people start with chicken, because it is usually easier to get, has edible bone included and it is relatively bland, so easy on the tummy.
If your dog has a chicken allergy it would be worth trying organic, free range chicken at some point, because most “allergies” are to the processed, denatured chicken or chicken meal used in most kibble, not to mention the unhealthy state of most factory farmed chickens that are used in pet food production! 

I think Kim prefers starting with Beef, which is fine, it does need to be balanced with edible bone. 

I prefer to start off with green/raw tripe. It has all your enzymes and probiotic included to get your pet off to a great start and is perfectly balanced with the correct calcium/phosphorus ratio so no bone need be added. http://greentripe.com/description.htm  

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-stink-on-tripe/

Deer/Venison is also a good alternative, same as beef, it must be properly balanced, Ca/Phos ratio with edible bone. 

4. Have a good probiotic & digestive enzyme supplement to give daily for about the first month or so or start off with grass fed organic tripe as your first protein. 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/searching-for-a-good-probiotic-and-dietary-enzyme-product/

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

http://thewholedog.org/id22.html

 plant base Digestive Enzymes

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-probiotics-dr-stephen-langers-ultimate-15-strain-probiotic-fos-60-veg-caps

http://www.prozymeproducts.com/  

http://shop.mercola.com/product/healthy-pets-digestive-enzymes,271,90.htm

Soil based organisms http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-soil-based-organisms-90-caps

PROBIOTICS

http://thewholedog.org/id24.html
http://shop.mercola.com/product/complete-probiotics-powder-for-pets-90g-per-bottle,266,91.htm
http://thewholedog.org/enzymespro.html

5. What do I feed? RATIOS
Prey Model Raw is based on the 80/10/10 ratio. (I say 80/10/5/5)
80 % muscle meat- any muscle in the body, including stomach, heart & lungs
10% EDIBLE bone depending on your dog's size, this will vary, for example- from quail (small chicken-like fowl) for toy dogs, to deer legs, beef ribs and such for extra large dogs. Also some dogs need more bone and some less so this amount can be tweaked as well.
5% LIVER the liver is a filter organ (along with the kidneys) so toxins can build up in feed stock that are exposed to toxins & chemicals, so it is better to spend a little extra in this area and get organic or free range/grass fed liver.
5% OTHER SECRETING ORGANS this includes: kidney, brain, reproductive, spleen, eyeball, pancreas, etc.

*PUPPY TIP* all dogs need the same proportions whether they are weaning or prime of life or elderly (unless a medical condition exists) and regardless of their size or breed.


6. What do I feed ? Protein sources.  Variety is key to successfully feeding PMR. If you provide your dog the correct ratios of meats from a variety of quality sources you will not need to supplement a healthy dog for anything.
Here is a list of suggestions of meats you can feed, but it is incomplete, because Im sure I will leave out some! basically any non-meat eating animal that is not full of toxins. Wild game(hunted or road killed) is fine as long as it is frozen for 2 weeks to kill parasites and is not rancid.
Beef(cow/ox), sheep/lamb, goat, venison/deer, horse, antelope, moose, bison, llama, ostrich, alpaca, pig, kangaroo, turkey, chicken, duck, wild fowl, rabbit, guinea pigs, mice/rat, squirrel, groundhog, beaver, fish-freshwater trout, bass, etc & sea fish-salmon, herring, sardines, whitefish, eggs etc.

7.HOW MUCH?
As a general GUIDELINE, you feed 2-3 percent of your dogs IDEAL ADULT Weight (IAW) you will have to adjust this higher or lower depending on your dog's metabolism, exersize and lifestyle.
*Please remember that the majority of dogs are overweight, this is very hard on their joints as well as their heart and other systems. People tend to want to not see the ribs but in many breeds, SLIGHTLY seeing the rib or at least being able to easily feel them! Ask your breeder or vet what is ideal for your dog.

For a FIT dog, start with 2.5%. If he gets chunky looking, gradually decrease the amount (over 1-4 weeks time) to 2% or lower if needed, same if he gets TOO thin, increase the amount gradually. This is something that may change throughout your dogs life, depending on health and circumstances. 

You will need to adjust this if your dog is overweight (start at 2%)  or underweight (start at 3-4 %).

*Remember these are guidelines and you should feed to BODY CONDITION rather than weight only.
As example: a 50 pound dog @ 2.5%
50 X 0.025 = 1.25 pound (per day) DAILY TOTAL
you can break that down to ounces  1.25 X 16(ounces) = 20 ounces per day
20 ounces X .01(bone) = 2 Ounces of that
20 X .05(organ/liver) = 1 Ounce  of that
so a days meal would consist of 17 ounces muscle meat, 2 ounces bone, and 1 ounce liver and 1 ounce other organ.

You can also figure that per week  just multiply each value by 7 or multiply the Daily total by 7 then do the calculations for the percentages. and the liver, bone & other organ can be fed daily or just on a few days per week as long as the amount is correct for the week.

*PUPPY TIP* puppies only ! they need 2-3 % of their Expected Adult Weight(EAW) or 5-10% of their Current Weight. They need to eat 3-6 times a day depending on age, so that amount would be divided by how many meals you will be feeding them.  Figure that with the same formulas you would use for an adult. As with adults, this is only a guideline. You will have to keep an eye on your pup and watch their body shape, also a puppy will tell you they are hungry!!
I let my puppies eat until they are full,  and they are perfect at self regulating, I have never had an overweight puppy. Also that sets up good habits for when they are adults. Of course you will have puppies from different situations and those few that will never stop eating, so if they are eating almost their whole day's amount at breakfast, then you know you will have to control their intake a little more strictly.

8.  Just do it. Once you make the decision, and are prepared with some raw meat for your dog, go for it!
Don’t put it off, don’t make excuses, the animal shelter or local rescue will be happy to take your donation of kibble, we are here for you if you have questions or an unexpected situation.
 Just don’t forget to keep us updated and take before & after pictures, so you can tell your friends in a few weeks how AWESOME raw feeding is!!!! 

Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog

Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog

10TH JAN 2013 | 2 NOTES

Question:  I have come to highly respect your opinion and protocol on vaccinations. My problem is I have a 16 month old standard poodle who is due for her one year rabies booster in a few weeks I have decided I don’t want to give it. My 9 year old standard came down with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia at age five. He’s a walking miracle He reacted from a rabies vaccine At that time I was ignorant and listened to the vets. Now I am knowledgeable and educated and can’t make any more mistakes. I am petrified of giving the booster. I can’t let anything happen to her. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Dr Dodds Says:  I understand your concern about the rabies vaccination now due for your 16 month old standard poodle, but the law requires you to give it. There is currently no state that routinely accepts a titer in lieu of the rabies vaccine. The fact that your other standard poodle experienced an adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine (not that uncommon in the breed to have immune-mediated blood disorders that can be triggered by vaccinations) does not provide sufficient justification to obtain a waiver/exemption from your puppy’s second rabies vaccine. Sorry!  If she’s intact, please be sure to give the second rabies booster when she’s not due in estrus or is in estrus.  You could also pre-treat her with the oral homeopathics, Thuja and Lyssin, to help blunt any adverse effects of the rabies vaccine.  Telephone the folks at  www.naturalrearing.com to obtain these homeopathics. 

The only other alternatives you have is to “fly under the radar”, but if you’re caught, she could be quarantined at your expense for up to 6 months, depending upon local ordinances.  

Follow Up:  Dear Dr. Dodds, I wanted you to know that after deep soul searching and reading more research on the subject I decided to titer my precious Snowy. My vet was very supportive and deeply respected my opinion. The results won’t be in for a few weeks but I am deeply confident of the fact that they will be fine. The decision is a weight lifted off me and one that I am happy with. Thank you for taking the time to discuss the issue with me. 

After the titer test:  Dear Dr.Dodds, I am sorry to bother you…I had inboxed you a while ago regarding rabies booster. I ended up titering my 17 month poodle. Her titer came back .7 anything above .5 is considered protected. My question is I have decided to fly under the radar regarding this but will this number dip below .5 in the future. I fear vaccinating her due to the adverse reactions rabies vaccine can cause and having a white poodle from the same kennel that came down with thrombocytopenia …Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Dr. Dodds Says:  Hello again! Actually, that interpretation is incorrect unless you live overseas or in Hawaii. The titer level considered adequate to protect a person from rabies is 0.1 IU/mL, for all locations except overseas and Hawaii, which require 0.5 IU/mL. 

So, your dog’s rabies titer at 0.7 IU/mL is very good. 

If you want to re-titer for rabies, I suggest every three years. 

W. Jean Dodds, DVM
Hemopet / NutriScan
11561 Salinaz Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92843

Takoda's Parvo Survival Story

This is Takoda. He is one of Daisy & Cooter's Naturally Reared pups from 2011. He is a UKC registered Carolina Dog. He lives with Lauri in Georgia. Lauri and I decided to tell his story here in the hopes that it may help others. This post is our combined effort, but any errors in dates, etc are mine. Thanks for sharing Lauri!  

Takoda was born in my home on August 26, 2011. He was from my raw fed, Naturally Reared very healthy pair of Carolina Dogs. He was healthy and was the largest puppy in the litter. At about 3 weeks the litter was introduced to raw meat and weaning was began naturally according to their mother, Daisy. Everything about his upbringing was normal and healthy. He was not vaccinated and was checked by a holistic vet at 7.5 weeks and at 8 weeks went to live with his new family(Lauri). Where he was continued on the Natural rearing protocols of raw feeding, no vaccines, and no chemicals or drugs. He was healthy and accompanied Lauri on a few trips to the pet store to pick out new toys and stylish new collar & leash sets. Lauri provided him with the best of foods; grass fed beef, free range whole chicken and other meats from an Organic farm she found nearby to her, as well as other high quality sources of raw meat for dogs.


In order to comply with Georgia law at the urging of the vets in her area, Lauri took Takoda for his rabies vaccine on 3-12-12, when he was about 7 months old. A couple of weeks afterwards, Lauri had to go out of town on business. Takoda stayed at home with her husband Randy. 

In mid-April, Lauri had just flown back into town. She was still at the airport and so she called her husband to see how Takoda was and let him know she was to be home soon. 
Lauri said, "Randy told me he was going to take Takoda to ER and  I said: "no, why?" "  Randy said that Takoda was not feeling too good and threw up once and kind of mopey since Lauri had been gone. 

Lauri immediately called me (the breeder & her mentor). I asked Lauri to have Randy call me so I could hear directly what was going on.  Randy reported that Takoda had only thrown up once and he had not observed him having any diarrhea. But he had watched him chase the cats in the yard just that day.   Based on what Randy told me, we decided to wait until Lauri got home and could assess Takoda herself. We were thinking he was just missing his Special Person.

Lauri got home very late at night and Takoda greeted her, but she could tell he was not quite up to par, so the next morning she called the holistic vet, J. Partin DVM that had given him the Rabies vaccine. Dr Partin was an hour away and told Lauri she needed to bring him in for testing. They did the Parvo test first and it was an immediate high level Parvovirus result. They retested again and quickly got the same result. The vet did state that Takoda was having diarrhea although nobody had seen him have any at home.  
Dr Partin started him on an IV with fluids. He also received the following meds: 
B-12 injection
Cephalothin injection (antibiotic)
Cerenia Injection( anti-vomiting med)
Vitamin B-complex injection
electrolytes Lactated Ringer's Solution
That vet had a very small practice and wasn't set up as a hospital, so Lauri loaded Takoda up and too him to Dr Carpenter at the local allopathic Veterinary Hospital that was near her home. They decided to continue on with the course of treatment started by Dr Partin, although Dr Carpenter(Lauri's previous vet for past dogs) wasn't very happy about treating him with a more Holistic approach, limited medicines and simply keeping him on IV fluids overnight. He did not give Lauri much hope of Takoda surviving the night let alone making a quick recovery.
The next day Lauri called first thing in the morning to see how Takoda was doing and the Vet Tech said he did good all night and if he will eat he can go home! Lauri took him some lightly boiled chicken because the hospital staff was trying to give him kibble(against Lauri's wishes). We were uncertain if they would actually give him the chicken , but they later reported to Lauri that he turned his nose up at the kibble but happily ate the chicken! 

That afternoon, after a grand total of only 1 day and a half at the vet, Takoda was eating and was allowed to go home! Lauri says "We came home, he ate his raw chicken with bone and went outside and chased squirrels and cats as if nothing ever happened and he has been well every since!"
The Holistic Vet Dr Partin said: "I'm just going to tell you the reason Takoda pulled out like he did is because he is fed raw and no vaccines, he has built his immune system." 

Lauri and I are very proud of how quickly Takoda recovered and how much he amazed all the "professionals".

We are not ever going to be sure of exactly where Takoda got infected with the Parvovirus, but we suspect that he picked it up at the Vet's office in March, when he went for his Rabies shot. Veterinarian's offices are typically one of the easiest places for any dog to 'catch something". In my opinion another factor was the Rabies vaccination and it's suppressive effect on his immune system. Many dogs are not so fortunate to be Naturally Reared, or survive parvo, many die or are sick for many weeks. We believe that kibble, chemicals and most of all vaccines contribute to the high death rate in otherwise healthy puppies that contract this man-made virus. Lauri and I have learned a lot along our respective Natural Rearing journeys, most of all we learned that Natural Rearing IS the way to go and we both now feel stronger and better prepared to face health challenges in the future.  

We would like to encourage everyone to learn more about natural rearing and to not be scared by all the fear mongering that is thrown at you by the Veterinary community, drug companies, and kibble companies. Raising your dog as nature intended is healthy and safe when done responsibly and in accordance with nature's laws. .

Time to Interview Your Vets!

***Puppy Families****
We are a few weeks prior to breeding and there are some things you can be doing now to get ready for your new best friend!  this is one suggestion. Watch for more as the weeks go by! 

Now is a great time to be getting your Vet picked, whether it is a traditional vet that respects your choices in how you will care for your puppy, an Integrative-Holistic vet, a vet practicing classical homeopathy or a Small Animal Naturopath. Interview a few and then make your decision. Right now there is no rush and no pressure to make a choice. You have time to research, v

isit the practice and talk one on one with the vet.
Some tips on things to look for and to consider.
1. Do not compromise. If you dont feel like you click with one vet, there are 20 more waiting to get your business! Walk away now!
2. You should be the one making decisions about your pet, not the vet telling you what you will & wont do. Refer to #1
3. You should feel your questions and beliefs about your pet's care are valued and respected. If you are not feeling that refer back to #1.
4. You should not be constantly bombarded by sales pressure and advertisement. Whether the decor is solely furnished by pet food and drug companies or the vet seems more like a high pressure car salesman, that is not a good place to be, refer to #1
5. If the vet does not support a 100% raw diet, refer to #1

6. If the vet tries to scare you into buying products you didnt come there for or vaccines you already said you dont want, refer to #1. 

7. Your vet should not be-little, poo-poo, or automatically disregard information and opinion you bring. If this happens... you got it! see #1!
A good vet will admit they may not know as much as they could about some subjects. A good vet will get down on the floor with your pup(barring physical limitations) and will gently coax your puppy to come to them, not force the pup or grab them and hold them roughly. A good vet will be a gentle teacher and will offer you alternatives and flexibility and a chance to learn about something before insisting you go along with their way. You should always feel comfortable taking to your vet just like your own physician. You should be able to have open and honest discussions about how you want your pet cared for, bring in literature for discussion, and expect your stance to be given consideration and respect. Ultimately the decision is yours, it is YOUR dog.
I have not always completely agreed with everything my vet suggests, but I do feel she respects my opinion and I listen to her and she listens to me and she ultimately accepts my carefully considered decision.

Dont put it off until it is time to pick up your puppy or time for his/her checkup. Get this out of the way so you can concentrate on that bundle of cuteness coming your way in a few months!
If you need help finding someone or some preliminary literature regarding Natural Rearing, please message, email, or call me!

 — at East Tennessee Dingos.