Raw Dog Food Diet Plan - Vet Recommended

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Raw Dog Food Diet Plan- Basic Maintenance Diet for Healthy Adult Dogs

I wanted to share a homemade raw dog food diet plan that was given to me by my trusted veterinarian. We have been going to this veterinary practice for years and they fully support the raw dog food diet that we are feeding our dogs. In fact, our veterinarian has her dogs on a raw dog food diet as well.

These guidelines were developed by Dr. Liz Hassinger, a Holistic Veterinarian at Wolf Rock Animal Health Center, and they were provided to me by my veterinarian at Bonnie Brae Veterinary Hospital.

The following are guidelines to get you started. They provide a topline of how to transition your dog to raw, what to feed, and how much to feed your dog based. It’s important to monitor your dog carefully as you change to a homemade dog food diet. If unexpected weight loss or any skin or intestinal problems occur, contact your veterinarian for help.

Servings below are per day unless otherwise noted.

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Basic Maintenance Diet for Healthy Adult Dogs	<20 lb	20-40 lb	40-60 lb	60-80 lb	80-100 lb
Meat (Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Fish, Venison, Rabbit, Turkey)	5-7 oz per day	6-8 oz per day	8-12 oz per day	12-16 oz per day	16-20 oz per day
Eggs	2 eggs/week	2-3 eggs/week	3-4 eggs/week	3-5 eggs/week	3-5 eggs/week
Organ Meats (heart, liver, kidney-these should be organic if possible, if not, use beef, not calf or chicken)	2 oz 2 times/week	3 oz 2 times/week	4 oz 2 times/week	5 oz 2 times/week	6 oz 2 times/week
Vegetables (finely chopped if raw, or cooked until soft; broccoli, carrots, green beans, squash, greens)	1/4 - 1/3 cup	1/2 cup	1/2 - 1 cup	1 - 1-1/2 cup	1-1/2 - 2 cup
Healthy Powder (see recipe below)	2 tsp	1 Tbsp	1 Tbsp	1-1/2 Tbsp	2 Tbsp
Cod Liver Oil	1/4 tsp	1/4 tsp	1/2 tsp	1/2 tsp	3/4 tsp
Seaweed Calcium for Dogs (this can be omitted if including Healthy Powder recipe in the diet)	1/8 tsp	1/2 tsp	3/4 tsp	1 tsp	1-1/4 tsp
Oil (Safflower or Olive Oil)	1 tsp	1 tsp	2 tsp	1 Tbsp	1-2 Tbsp
Chopped Garlic (optional)		1/4 tsp	1/4 tsp	1/4 tsp	1/3 tsp
Vitamin E	100 units	100 units	200 units	200 units	400 units
This diet was developed by Dr. Liz Hassinger of the Wolf Rock Animal Health Center and was provided by Bonnie Braw Veterinary Hospital.

Raw or Cooked?

Dr. Liz Hassinger states that while a raw meat diet is optimal for most dogs, it is not right for every dog. It may not be something that you are comfortable with either. She suggests that it is best, to begin with fully cooked meats. Simmer meat with a little water on a stovetop until it is fully cooked and then feed it to your dog. If you are comfortable with the raw diet choice, begin to gradually reduce the extent of cooking until you are feeding raw. If your dog will not eat the meats raw or develops a loose stool, then resume cooking the meats. You should consult with the doctor if this occurs. You can try giving your dog supplements, like probiotics or enzymes to correct the problem, but not all dogs are cut out for a raw diet.

Warning: Pre-ground meats and commercial chicken may harbor dangerous bacteria. Organic meats and whole cuts of meat are less likely to harbor bacteria. Most healthy dogs have no problem with raw meats, but there is a higher risk of problems if your dog is very ill or aged. The very safest option is to use whole cuts of mean and parboil the meat for 4-5 minutes. Then cut into smaller chunks, or grind. If you use fish, it should be fully cooked. Wash all surfaces and bowls after preparation and feeding to avoid human health risks.

Note: You can prepare the food in advance in batches and then freeze in individual, daily portions.

Raw Dog Food Diet Recipe – Healthy Powder

The recipe for “Healthy Powder” comes from Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats. Truly no pet owner should be without this valuable resource.

2 cups Nutritional Yeast (good source of B vitamins, iron, and other nutrients)
1 cup Lecithin Granules (for essential fatty acids, choline, and inositol)
1/4 cup Kelp Powder (for iodine and trace minerals)
1/4 cup Seaweed Calcium (calcium to balance the high phosphorus levels in yeast and lecithin)

Mix all ingredients together in a 1-quart container and refrigerate. Add to the recipe as indicated. This is an important supplement to the homemade diet to provide food-source vitamins and minerals to complete the diet.