Raw Prey Model Diet
I have been on raw now for about 15 months and made a list of pros and cons for myself to see the
benefits of raw. I have 10 dogs and have raised 3 litters during these 15 months. My list is below.
My Raw Diet
80% meats: white or red including skin, heart, lungs, etc. Heart is very rich so be wise in doling it out.
Stay away from enhanced raw and raw with salt or spices added.
10% organ: liver, spleen, pancreas, (organs that filter)
10% bone: chicken feet and other bones that aren’t weight bearing bones. Bones help keep the stools
firm. If stools soft add more bone and if white and hard less bone and more meat or organs.
Feed 2-4% of the adult body weight daily. If the dog is getting too slender, add meat; if too much
weight, lessen the meat.
Certain fruits and vegetables can be given without any problems but should not be the main source of
nutrition.
Pros to feeding raw
1. My dogs eat less to maintain their ideal weight.
2. The dogs are more satisfied and have more energy. Energy levels are more consistent.
3. Fat and muscle cover the whole body, where it should.
4. Their coats are decidedly more sleek and shiny; colors are more enhanced or deepened.
5. Their skin is less oily and more supple.
6. Their teeth stay cleaner; therefore, I don’t need to visit the vet for teeth cleaning.
7. Less if not all body odor or bad breath is gone.
8. They have less fecal waste; it is more solid and dries out quicker.
9. My more athletic dogs don’t need to stop and defecate as often if at all.
10. Less flies and if they lay eggs then the pooh dries out quicker and the fly eggs die
11. With the more firm stools, I rarely have anal gland issues.
12. The raw is digested in about 4 hours where the dry kibbles stay in the system for up to 12
hours causing more health concerns.
13. My dogs drink less water.
14. It costs less and there is more variety.
15. I don't have to pay taxes on the food.
16. Dogs shed less year round; they still shed in the spring and fall.
17. Nursing bitches maintain good weight, have plenty of milk, and don’t have loose stools.
18. After a bitch whelps and eats the placenta, she doesn't get loose stools.
19. When introducing raw for the first time to puppies, I don't have to coax them; they like the raw.
20. Puppies stay fat on raw.
21. Dogs’ desire to eat cat or other dog pooh is diminished entirely.
22. One feeding a day can satisfy my adult dogs, though I like to feed them twice a day.
23. My dogs have less internal and external parasites.
24. I can feed raw foods found in my area.
25. People are willing to give me their left-over raw or freezer burnt meat.
26. I don’t have to coax them to eat.
Cons to feeding raw
1. During the fall I get more yellow jackets around (they like meat).
2. I had to buy an extra freezer.
3. I have to look more carefully for the dry stools as they are easy to miss in the grass since they
are smaller.
4. It can get messy at times as the raw thaws, but you can put it into smaller quantities and
freeze.