- Now, making a raw diet isn't all that hard,
but there are some important details
that can really harm your dog over time if you miss them.
So let's talk about this six simple
but critical parts of raw diets for dogs.
Before we get started,
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And if you're on YouTube, click the alert notification.
Now I'm going to go over the six steps here,
but if you want more in-depth review
of any of the steps,
just watch the videos in this playlist or series
or check out the resources.
I've kind of set it up
like a raw feeding one-on-one course
to help you build the safest
and most nutritious, raw diet possible.
Okay.
So the first step is to make sure
that there's not too much fat.
Fat is an important part of the raw diet,
but it's also nutrient poor.
So a diet that contains too much fat
will be one that's low in vitamins minerals
and other important nutrients.
How much fat is too much?
Well, anything over 15%
will mean that your dog gets
twice as many calories from fat is protein.
And that will be a problem.
He'll either need to eat too much food
to get enough nutrients,
or he won't get enough nutrients,
but don't skimp on the fat either.
If there's too little fat in the diet,
then you'll start to see itchy skin
and a harsh brittle coat.
So aim for about 10 to 15% fat and not much more.
And this includes any oils that you add to the food.
Now, if you're not sure how much fat is in your dog's food,
check out the resources for more information.
Now, the next important step
is to get the minerals right.
Along with enzymes, minerals are like little keys
that turn on all of the important processes in your dog,
like making hormones or energy.
So if your dog doesn't get enough minerals
then things can go really wrong, really fast,
but don't let that scare you.
It's pretty easy to get the minerals right.
You just need to feed your dog bones as a mineral source,
but you do need to give the right amount of bone.
And that's about 12 to 15% of his diet.
Now, most of the bones that we would feed raw dogs,
things like turkey necks, or chicken backs,
they all contain meat and not just bone.
So to get the right amount of bone,
then you need to feed meaty bones
as about one third to one half of your dog's meals.
The bonier they are then the less you need to feed.
And again, I'll have a link in the resources, just click it.
And I've got a list of bone content
in common bones to help you out.
And there's also a more in-depth video.
Okay, so now that you've got enough
of the major minerals from bone,
the next step is to add some trace minerals and vitamins.
And the best sources of these nutrients is organ meats.
The organs are mother nature's multivitamin.
So don't skimp on them, because most people do.
You'll see a lot of raw guides
that say to feed 10% organ meat,
but that's not enough.
Most animals are about 25% organ meat,
and each organ has unique nutrients.
So you need to find as many as you can.
Now, the organs that you absolutely must have
in the raw diet are liver and heart.
Five to 10% of your dog's diet should be liver.
And two to 5% should be heart, but don't stop there.
Add kidney, spleen, pancreas,
and even lung, brain, eyes, sweetbread, and green tripe.
If you can get a few of these organs,
then add them to your dog's meals as another five to 10%,
but just be sure to add them slowly,
because the super rich organs can cause diarrhea
if your dog isn't used to them.
Okay.
Now, the next step is to balance the fats,
because too much of some fats
can be harmful for your dog.
So, you need to limit the amount of two fats
in your dog's diet.
Saturated fats and omega six fats.
Now, saturated fats are mainly found in beef and red meats.
And while your dog needs them,
if he eats too many of them,
then they'll start to cause unwanted changes
in his gut bacteria.
Now, since these little bugs control his immune system,
we don't want to mess with them.
So the easiest way to balance out the saturated fats
is to feed both red meats and poultry.
Poultry is richer and polyunsaturated fats,
and this will balance out the saturated fats.
Now, if your dog has food sensitivities
and he can't eat poultry or pork,
then you can feed grass-finished beef,
which is much lower in saturated fats.
Or you can feed rabbit, which is a nice low fat choice.
So, now that you've got the saturated fats in check,
you need to look at the omega six fats.
These are pro-inflammatory fats,
and they need to be balanced
with the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats.
Now, the reason you need to pay attention to this,
is because modern food animals
are fed some pretty inappropriate foods like grains.
Animals that eat grains and feeds
contain a lot more omega six fats
than those that are raised on pastures.
And the worst offenders are poultry and pork.
While wild animals will have
about two to three times more omega six fats
than omega three,
pork and poultry can have more than 20 times more.
And this is worse if you feed the skin,
never feed skin from pork and poultry,
unless they're raised on pasture.
It's just too inflammatory.
Okay, so what do we do about these inflammatory fats?
Well, if you're rotating poultry and pork with red meat,
then you're off to a really good start.
If your dog can only tolerate poultry,
then just be sure to never feed the skin.
But don't stop there,
because chronic inflammation
is the cause of all chronic disease
like cancer, allergies and joint disease.
So you'll want to add anti-inflammatory omega-3 oils
to the diet to keep your dog's immune system
as healthy as possible.
Now, with that said, please don't use fish oil.
The oceans are being drained of fish, squid, and krill,
and it's completely unsustainable.
And besides, fish oil only contains
one anti-inflammatory fat, ETA.
I recommend green-lipped mussel oil,
because it contains more anti-inflammatory fats
than fish oil.
Plus it's sustainable.
I think we all need to play a role
in protecting the oceans.
Now you'll also want to add another anti-inflammatory fat
called GLA,
and this only comes from plant sources
and the best source is ahiflower,
but there are smaller amounts in hemp seed
and evening primrose oil.
So be sure to add these to your dogs food
only every single day.
They're critical for keeping that dangerous inflammation
to a manageable amount.
Okay, now there's just two steps left.
Step five is to add vegetation.
Fruits, berries, and veggies
should all be about 10% of your dog's diet.
And I'll tell you,
it's a mistake to skip this step.
Wild dogs and wolves naturally scavenge for vegetation.
And that's because there's something found in plants
that's not found in animal products, polyphenols.
Now, polyphenols can't actually be digested by your dog.
Most of them pass right through his digestive tract
to the colon, but that's where they work their magic.
They feed beneficial bacteria species there.
And in return, the bacteria
will make vitamins K, D and B,
and they'll make amino acids and enzymes.
Plus they'll poop out anti-inflammatory substances
called short chain fatty acids.
And these guys will bolster up the gut lining,
which protects your dog from viruses and food allergies.
Plus, they reduce chronic inflammation
and fight oxidative damage.
Now all of these health benefits go away
if you don't feed vegetation
and research shows that dogs that eat veggies
have a lower risk of cancer.
Now, the best plants to add
are cruciferous veggies like broccoli and kale,
along with low sugar fruits
like blueberries and cranberries.
All right, so you've got a nicely balanced raw diet already,
but there's one more step.
You have to add in a trace mineral called manganese
and probably some vitamin D.
Now manganese is an important mineral.
But most of it has been stripped out of the soils
and your dog, thanks to glyphosate or Roundup.
This chemical loves to bind to minerals
and especially manganese.
So you need to make sure that you add it back into the diet.
If your dog doesn't have enough,
then his joints are at risk and his overall health.
Now the richest source of manganese is fur and feathers.
So if you can feed treats or animal parts
with the fur and feathers on,
then your dog will get a good amount of manganese.
And this is another reason
why dogs don't get enough manganese.
We don't feed the fur.
Now, if you can't get the furry parts,
then you can add blue mussels, oysters,
or other shellfish
because they're also rich and manganese.
Now, vitamin D is tough one,
because it's hard to know just how much dogs need
or just how much they have,
because it's actually a hormone and not a vitamin.
But if you want to be safe,
then food-based sources of vitamin D are a good idea.
Now it's important to avoid vitamin D supplements,
because it's really easy to give too much.
And excess vitamin D is super hard on your dog's kidneys
and can even cause kidney failure and death.
So natural sources are best.
Now, you can get natural vitamin D from mushrooms
that are exposed to sunshine,
egg yolks, especially from pastured hens,
and green-lipped mussels.
Now, again, fish is a good source of vitamin D,
but I really hope that by now
you'll join me and protect the oceans from overfishing.
And besides, fish contains heavy metals,
dioxin, mercury, and PCBs.
So, it's really not a healthy choice.
So, those are the six simple steps to feed a fresh raw diet.
If you want to dig any deeper into any of these steps,
look at the resource links in the description,
or watch the other videos in this playlist or series.
And if you have any questions,
just leave a comment and we're always here to help.
And if you like this video,
please make sure you like it,
share it and tell people about it.
Thanks for watching.