RAW Feeding Questions & Answers

RAW Feeding Questions & Answers - FAQ's about Feeding Your Dog RAW

Over the past 7-years publishing our websites I've received countless raw feeding questions from dog owners all over the world.

What I've done with this article is simply list some of the most common Q & A's for easy reference.

If you have a RAW feeding question that's not listed on this page, feel free to write me and I will add a new Q & A.

As I've said from day 1, "Our online achievements are because of you and your participation!" :)

RAW Feeding Questions & Answers

Q. Can I purchase raw meals pre-made?
A. Yes, the RAW dog diet has increased in popularity and certain companies such as Oma's Pride® offer pre-packaged meals.

Q. How much should I feed my Great Dane?
A. This is not a set rule and it depends on your dog. As a general rule however, Puppies should consume 3 to 6% of their body weight in raw food per day. Adults about 1.5 to 4% per day. It's important to keep a watchful eye on your dog's physical appearance. If your dog gets thin, feed more, If it gets heavy, feed a bit less.

Q.How often do I feed RAW?
A. You can feed RAW like any other diet but never free feed! You can feed 2 meals per day like a typical kibble diet yet one large meal of RAW per day is okay. You will learn by trial and error what feeding schedule works best for you.

Q. How do I know when my dog is finished with its meal?
A. Typically, your Dane will eat the entire serving quickly. A general rule of thumb with a raw dog diet is allowing 5 to 10 minutes for the meal unless they are working a large meaty bone. Leftover food can be refrigerated until the next feeding without worry.

Q. Are bones dangerous for a dog to eat?
A. Cooked bones should never be fed to a dog! Your dog will digest raw bones naturally. Will your Dane choke on a bone? Probably not. Will your Dane choke on a tennis ball?

Q. Should I add the veggies, vitamins, supplements and oils?
A. There are no set rules to the raw dog diet. Some owners do while others are totally against it. Personally I add a broad spectrum vitamin powder and a tablespoon of Salmon oil.

Q. Will my RAW fed dog become "blood-thirsty" or "turn"?
A. Absolutely not.

Q. I just started my dog on a RAW diet and they're not drinking from their water bowl, is something wrong?
A. It's common for RAW fed dogs to drink less frequently. This is due to the high moisture content of RAW meat.

Regarding Protein Levels of RAW..

One of the common questions asked is..
"If Great Dane pups are not supposed to have high protein diets, isn't raw meat going to give them too much protein?"

The answer to this common question is no!

We all know the protein is the building blocks of our body and most realize that protein is what muscle is made out of, but muscle is not 100% protein! The percentage of protein varies from animal to animal with chicken and turkey containing some of the highest levels.

TIP: You can find the protein content of just about any food using the USDA's National Nutrient Database!

To begin, use the USDA's Nutrient Database and search a meat such as chicken.

You will find that 100g of RAW chicken, (Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat and skin, raw), contains 17.27g of protein. Doing simple math we divide 17.27 by 100 and find that chicken is 17.27% protein. The same can be done with fat content to arrive at 15.25%.

Don't judge the protein of RAW by looking at RAW grain free kibble! With actual RAW meat protein is much lower due to the moisture content of real RAW meat. RAW grain free kibble is dry and very high in protein, it's not the same.