Beef, Lamb Meal, Barley, Brown Rice, Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Rice, Lamb, Buffalo, Venison, Beef Cartilage, Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Apples, Carrots, Herring Oil, Tomatoes, Potassium Chloride, Sea Salt, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Dried Chicory Root, Taurine, Direct-Fed Microbials, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Beta Carotene, Biotin, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Iodate, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Dicalcium Pantothenate, dl-Methionine, Folic Acid, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Niacin, Potassium Chloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin C Supplement (Sodium Ascorbate), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement (Alpha Tocopherol), Zinc Proteinate

Crude Protein (min) 24 %
Crude Fat (min) 14 %
Crude Fiber (max) 3 %
Moisture (max)     10 %
Vitamin E (min) 300 IU/kg
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) (min) 500 mg/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) 0.4 %
Total Microorganisms (min) 90000000 CFU/lb
DHA plus EPA 0.1 %

Calorie Content:
3,914 kcal/kg
468 kcal/cup

Organic Chicken, Chicken Meal, Organic Ground Brown Rice, Organic Ground Oats, Organic Ground Barley, Lamb Meal, Organic Chicken Hydrolysate, Organic Peas, Organic Flaxseed Meal, Tomato Pomace, Chicken Fat (Stabilized with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavors, Monocalcium Phosphate, Organic Sunflower Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Organic Dried Tomatoes, Organic Cranberries, Organic Carrots, Organic Spinach, Organic Kelp, Dried Chicory Root, Turmeric, Niacin Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Rosemary Extract, Dried Yeast Fermentation Solubles

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potato Starch, Turkey Meal, Whitefish Meal, Salmon Meal, Tomato Pomace (natural source of Lycopene), Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Oatmeal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Kelp, Taurine, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Yucca Shidigera Extract, Turmeric, Herring Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Dried Chicory Root, Black Malted Barley, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Choline Chloride, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Salt, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Rye, Whole Potatoes, Tomato Pomace (natural source of Lycopene), Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Flaxseed, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Taurine, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Yucca Shidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Garlic, Sunflower Oil (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Herring Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Dried Chicory Root, Black Malted Barley, Oil of Rosemary, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin C, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Salt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus faecium

Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Barley, Brown Rice, Potatoes, Rice, Chicken Fat,
Flaxseed, Herring, Natural Flavors, Apples, Carrots, Pumpkin, Egg, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Potassium Chloride, Herring Oi, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Direct-Fed Microbials, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Beta Carotene, Biotin, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Iodate, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Dicalcium Pantothenate, dl-Methionine, Folic Acid, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Niacin, Potassium Chloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin C Supplement (Sodium Ascorbate), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement (Alpha Tocopherol), Zinc Proteinate

Crude Protein (min)   24 %
Crude Fat (min) 14 %
Crude Fiber (max) 2.5 %
Moisture (max)     10 %
Linoleic Acid (Omega-6 Fatty Acid) (min) 2.5 %
Vitamin E (min) 300 IU/kg
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) (min) 500 mg/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) 0.6 %
Total Microorganisms (min) 90000000 CFU/lb
DHA plus EPA 0.1 %

Calorie Content:
3,694 kcal/kg (159 g = 1 cup)
504 kcal/cup (5.6 oz = 1 cup)

Organic Chicken, Oatmeal, Barley, Chicken Meal, Whole Brown Rice, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols – a source of Natural Vitamin E and Ascorbic Acid, a source of Vitamin C), Flaxseed, Freeze Dried Potatoes, Freeze Dried Carrots, Freeze Dried Peas, Dried Chicken Liver, Freeze Dried Apples, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lysine, Guar Gum, Choline Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Whole Blueberries, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Whole Clove Garlic, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Dried Chicken, Chicory Root, Marigold Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Natural Celery Flavor, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Natural Color (tumeric), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Ground Barley, Ground Oats, White Fish Meal, Olive Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols and ascorbic acid) Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Tomatoes, Avocado Oil, Sweet Potatoes, Flaxseed Meal, Rosemary Extract, Sage, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A supplement, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) Vitamin D3 supplement, Vitamin E supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite. 

- Prey model feeders feel that dogs are physiologically carnivores. Dogs have been shown by geneticists to be a variation of the grey wolf. They differ by 0.2% in the mitochondrial DNA (and I suspect much of this difference has to do with coloring and shape and size).

- David Mech, the forefront wolf biologist who has studied them intensely in their own natural habitat (not an artificial wolf colony), has observed that as natural carnivores, the wolf’s diet consists mostly of large prey, and supplemented by smaller prey in leaner times, and very occasionally, he’ll notice some vegetation grazing, but again only during extremely lean times. Wolves are carnivores. They CAN subsist on non-meat products, but by and large, they need raw prey to thrive and reproduce.

- So by trying to appropriate a whole prey through feeding of various body parts, we feed what the dog has been designed by nature to eat. Because the dog’s physiology is designed to be carnivorous, this is what we feed them.

- Physiology:

• no grinding molars (all sharp scissor like teeth),
• strong wide jaws to really open up, take in a large piece, and crunch down and gnaw,
• no amylase in the saliva to begin digestion, and therefore,
• very acidic stomach juices (at about 1 – 2 on the litmus scale, 7 being neutral – humans’ stomach acidity is only around 5),
• very short digestive tract to keep food moving along out
• not to mention they are natural hunters – every dog has an instinct to hunt – this instinct is part and parcel of being a carnivore. I don’t see wolves stalking a berry branch…

- By that logic, because a dog/wolf is designed to feed the way they do in the wild, evolution has shown us this is path of least resistance. To ask your dog to eat what they’re not biologically designed to do is therefore providing obstacles along the path of least resistance. To many rawfeeders, this is basically asking for trouble.

2. How much to feed?

- Essentially, most dogs require about 2 – 3% of their body in raw food to maintain good health and weight. Working dogs may require more, some furry couch warmers may require 1%.

- This amount that you determine what your dog does well on is a trial and error kind of thing. Most people start with 2%, then either feed more or back up depending on how their dog’s body feels.

- The amount does NOT have to be the exact same amount every day. Some days you can certainly feed more, then feed slightly less the next day to compensate for the larger amount of food prior. Some people feed the gorge/fast method, where they allow their dogs to eat two or three times the daily amount, then just fast their dogs the next day or however long, to compensate again for the larger amount.

- Know your dog. I have a self-regulator on my hands who generally will only eat about twice the daily amount even though there may be five days worth of food sitting in front of her in the form of a goat leg. She won’t fast herself the next day, she’ll just eat slightly less than normal. Again, use the dog’s body and energy level as a guideline. Looking porky? Back off on the amount, and feed slightly less fatty if necessary. (Although fat is an integral part of the diet…)

- You can feed once a day, or twice a day. It’s up to you.

- Puppies? Most raw prey model feeders feed 2 – 3% of the projected adult body weight. So a little GSD puppy, who may grow to be 80 lbs, will still be fed about 2% of the 80 lbs as a puppy. Just spaced out over a few feedings since puppies do better with more frequent feedings. Once they hit about 6 mths, you can back off to twice a day, and once a year old, you can do once a day, or even the gorge/fast if that’s what you prefer.

3. What to include in the diet?

-Prey model feeders don’t generally feed anything other than raw meat, edible bone, and organs. We don’t think veggies form a necessary part of the diet because a) we subscribe to dogs being carnivores following their physiology; b) veggies and fruit form only about 1% of the grey wolf’s natural diet – it’s more like grazing on a sweet berry if it’s there. Kind of like the way I like to nosh on candy.

- The ratio of meat/bone/organs is 80%/10%/10%. Half the organ allotment is liver, following the notion that the liver is the largest internal secreting organ. We use this ratio as kind of the general ratio that most prey animals are in their makeup. It may vary, of course, and again, this 80/10/10 ratio is a guideline, but really most animals are made in ratios not too far from this one.

- Meat: this is muscle meats. Muscle attached to bones, and also parts of the body that are organs, but are muscular in nature (non-secreting). This includes, tongue, heart, gizzards, trachea, skin (yes skin secretes, but it secretes waste through water and salt aka sweat OUT of the body, so we don’t count that, hee.) I count stomach as a muscle meat, but in keeping to form with the whole prey, I don’t stomach as the main part of the meat ratio – so despite how much Karma adores green tripe, she only gets it a couple times a week.

- Edible bone: we consider weight-bearing bones of large animals as purely recreational and not very edible. Marrow bones, soup bones, knuckles, femurs and the like should be given for recreational chewing but are not intended for consumption. Please always provide adequate supervision. Edible bones tend to be less dense, more porous. Depending on the size of the dog, edible bones range from chickens, to turkey, to duck, to fish, to rabbit, to pork, to goat, to lamb. Some power-eaters do manage to chew off the ends of beef ribs. Karma devours them completely, whereas a smaller dog may have these as a treat, gleam the meat from the bone and toss the rest. It’s a Know Thy Dog situation.

- Secreting organs: liver should be half the organ allotment. The rest can be made up of kidney, spleen, thymus, pancreas, lung, testicles (mountain oysters), brains.

NOTE: remember, we call it prey model, because those of us who can’t feed whole prey, we try to appropriate the whole prey through various body parts at various times. It’s a prey built over time. Frankenprey, as many people call it.

So again, this ratio can be met over time. It helps me to know how much Karma eats in a week, roughly, then cut up hunks of organs that make up 10% of the weekly amount. Then these organ hunks can be fed throughout the week. This way, I know in each week, Karma is getting 10% of organs in her diet, and half of this is liver. (So the 10% organ amount is divided into 4 smaller hunks, and twice a week, she gets a liver hunk, and twice a week she gets other organ hunks. I space out the variety to give it more balance.)

Another note about edible bone – most store bought cuts of meat with bone in them tend to be high in bone. So even if you see a nice pork shoulder roast covered in gobs of meat, the bone in there probably makes up about 15 – 20% of the piece. Store bought whole chickens have been gutted and de-feathered, so the bone ratio tends to be a little higher than real whole prey. I like to feed more meat when I find what I’m feeding Karma may possibly have too much bone in there. (Which is most of the time.) How to tell? Look at the writing in the poop! If your dog is straining slightly, and the poops come out crumbly and powdery and once they hit the ground, they fall apart, that’s generally too much bone. If the poops are squishy and have no form (NOT diarrhea), then feed a tad more bone. It doesn’t take a huge bone tweak to make a difference in the poop.

Here are some websites to help you along:

Dr. Tom Lonsdale’s Raw Meaty Bones

Pack Lunch – a Raw Feeder’s site

Netrophic – Information about raw feeding

United States Raw Meaty Bones!

Myths about Raw Feeding

My Pet Carnivore

These are just really basic ideas to get started on. Raw feeding is not rocket science, but there are some basic principles that must be understood in order to meet your dog’s nutritional needs. Interested in feeding your dog a raw diet but unsure where to start or how to transition your dog? Contact me for a personalized diet plan based on your dog’s age, weight, breed, and needs.

Organic chicken, chicken meal, organic brown rice, organic oats, organic barley, natural flavors, dicalcium phosphate, organic flaxseed, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), calcium carbonate, organic sunflower oil, potassium chloride, tomato pomace, brewers yeast, sea salt, proteinated minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, cobalt proteinate, manganese proteinate, selenium proteinate), choline chloride, organic alfalfa, organic peas, organic sunflower seeds, organic pumpkin seeds, organic carrots, blueberries, organic broccoli, yeast culture (saccharomyces cerevisiae, enterococcus faecium, lactobacillus acidophilus, aspergillus niger, trichoderma longibrachiatum, bacillus subtillis), vitamins (vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), glucosamine hydrochloride, chicory extract, lecithin, taurine, preserved with mixed tocopherols, sage, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), chondroitin sulfate, yucca schidigera extract, garlic, calcium iodate, rosemary extract.