Switching to Raw
Transitioning to raw dog foods
There are two schools of thought in switching a dog to raw foods from a kibble-based diet. Immediate or Gradual are your options and both can and do work.
Immediate Switch
- Fast your pet for at least 24 hours and up to 36 hours.
- Start with an easy to digest recipes like Chicken Plus or Rabbit Plus.
- Serve 50% of the portion THAWED, wait 10 mins, serve the remaining portion. This will help keep your dog from gobbling and regurgitating the food, which is common when dogs move from kibble to raw.
- Continue feeding thawed, 2 portions per feeding for one week. This will let your dog ease into the new way of feeding and you to observe them for a week.
Gradual Switch
If you are going to make a gradual switch, we recommend the following 7-day method:
- Day 1&2 – 25% raw/75% kibble
- Day 3&4 – 50% raw/50% kibble
- Day 5&6 – 75% raw/25% kibble
- Day 7 – 100% raw
After the Switch
During the transitional phase into a raw food diet, the first 7 – 14 days, your pet may experience some digestive upset including unwanted gas, loose stools, mucus in stool, and may even vomit bile (yellow or white phlegm). This is due to the change in diet and the body adapting to the change, kibble-based diets are substantially differenced in molecular structure and the body has to adjust back to its natural state. I would compare it to what we humans go through during the switch to a ketogenic diet, moving from carb-based energy to protein-based is a complex change that happens over 7-14 days. As your pet adapts the gut flora process these changes and the bacteria and enzymes adjust to the new protein-based food, this may cause your dog to be nauseous or have bad gas. As a week or two go by these symptoms should subside.