RAW FEEDING GUIDE
Thinking of switching to a raw food diet? Read below for help and tips.
Puppies 0-12 weeks
Puppies aged 0-3 weeks should be drinking their mother’s milk to obtain essential nutrients and fatty acids, enzymes and gut microbiome.
Aged 3-4 weeks puppies need 3 meals a day, and around 8% of their body weight. Our puppy food is minced very finely for little tummies. Still make sure you mash the food up very well.
Often puppies will still be drinking milk from their mother. If they are not, you could add a little goat’s milk to their food (easier to
digest than cow’s milk).
Continue to feed about 8% of body weight until about 12weeks. Over time, puppies will wean from their mother and are usually completely weaned by 7/8 weeks.
Puppies 3 months +
NAKED DOG has a variety of NAKED PUP recipes so that you can introduce your pup to different proteins and flavours – Chicken, Beef, Rabbit and Surf and Turf.
Our recipes are 90% meat, and slightly higher protein and fat than our usual recipes to support the energy requirements of puppies. They also contain chicory root, which is great for building digestive health.
After about 12 weeks, you should be able to start reducing the amount you feed your puppy to about 6% of body weight. All dogs are
different, and this is just a guide – so always keep your eye on your dog’s weight.
Adult dogs
By the time your dog is fully grown (usually about 1 year to 18 months – depending on the breed), you should be feeding about 2 or 3% of
body weight. Gradually reduce the amount you feed your puppy as it grows until you reach (roughly) this amount.
You can start transitioning away from NAKED PUP to our NAKED DOG recipes at any time from about 6 months.
Remember that (just like humans!) some dogs will need a little less, and others a little more.
Thinking of switching to raw?
The simplest, safest way is a straight switch, feeding exclusively raw after a 24 hour fast, for instance missing the dogs previous evening meal, then moving to raw, real food the next day. We don't recommend feeding traditional extruded kibble in the same sitting.
Because raw is a very satisfying meal, some dogs do well for a few meals then turn their nose up. This could just be because they’re full (even some Labradors!), so throw away that meal and reduce the overall volume of their next meals. Let your dog be your guide and try not to get bogged down with how many grams they should be eating every day.
Obviously this is only if they’re otherwise well. Any sign of illness or secondary symptoms in conjunction with lack of appetite should warrant further attention.
When they’re doing well, gradually add in different protein sources as different animal meats provide different nutrients. You’re striking a balance over time, which is a more natural way to feed.
The best indictor your dog is doing well is appetite. Many dogs will self regulate on raw food due to higher levels of satiety.
Look at body condition: you want a good covering of muscle over the hips, shoulders and back, and you should be able to feel (but no see) ribs.
If your dog is losing weight, or adding an extra layer of insulation, then alter the amount you give daily until you reach a happy balance.
Remember that all dogs will vary what they need - according to genetics, activity levels, seasons, and other sources of food!
What about kibble?
Traditional extruded kibble digests very differently to our raw food. This means we don't recommend feeding them together.
However, we understand raw food might not be possible every day. That's why we've made our cold-pressed kibble. It is gently baked at low temperatures so it digests very gently (like our raw).
The perfect complement to NAKED DOG raw.