How to Transition to Prey Model Raw

 

Prey model raw mimics the whole prey that an animal would eat in the wild and is a species appropriate diet. A WHOLE PREY animal is approximately 80% muscle meat 10% edible bone 10% offal. These are the percentages that we should obtain in our dogs diets.

 

We do not suggest using pre made blends to transition your dog if they contain organ and bone, especially if your dog has a sensitive belly. The organ is very nutrient dense and can cause an upset stomach, diarrhea and vomiting. It is suggested to start boneless for the first week to allow the PH of the stomach to adapt to digesting raw, which can take 1-2 weeks. Boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breasts are the lowest fat and easiest to start with. 

 

Adult Dogs

 

How Much to feed?

2%- Weight loss or low energy level

2.5%- Weight maintenance and or moderate energy level

3%- Weight gain and or high energy level

 

2-3% of your dogs body weight. Start with 2.5% and monitor your dogs weight. If your dog looses weight, try feeding 3%, if your dog gains weight, change to 2%. Its not super complicated. If your dog enjoys the couch more than a good long walk aka couch potato, then you can probably start at 2%. If you dog is intact, super active, or a high energy breed, then you will likely end up feeding more. Feed what you need to maintain your dogs heathy weight., you do not need to over complicate it.

 

How to start?

For your first week start with boneless, skinless chicken or turkey (breast is best as its lowest in fat). Don't worry about getting your organ and bone ratios correct when you first start. If your dog seems to not like his or her meal try feeding the meat partially frozen, or warmed up a touch (room temp), try changing the cut sizes of the meat (smaller/larger/ground etc) Some dogs are super picky to transition and it is a matter of texture, most dogs LOVE their new meals and you do not need to make any changes. 

After your first week start adding bone to your dogs diet. Soft bones like chicken necks or feet. If your dog is a gulper (eats really fast) try holding onto one end of the neck/foot so they learn to chew. You could also try feeding the bone frozen. By the end of the week your dog should be eating 10% of their meal in bone. 

For weeks 3-5 start adding a red meat protein like beef, bison or lamb. It is best to introduce a new protein in 20-25% increments over 7 days. DO NOT increase % if your dog starts having diarrhea after the new protein. Wait until their poops are solid then start increasing %. Add a different red meat protein each week.

Week 6-7 start SLOWLY introducing offal. Follow the same directions when adding red meat proteins. Add a small amount of liver, 1/2"x1/2" sliver and do not increase the amount of liver you are feeding until your dogs poops are solid. Then work your way up to 5% of their meal in liver. Week 7 start adding secreting offal such as pancreas, spleen, sweetbread, kidney in the same manner, until reaching 5%

At this point your dog should be eating 4-5 different proteins, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other secreting organs. You can continue adding more proteins like fish and eggs to your dogs diet. Canned sardines in water work great. Again, introduce these slowly. If you want to switch to pre made prey model blends at this point you can. Insure that they are 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other secreting organs (a good mix of secreting organs is best)

 

If you find your adult dog seems starving at every meal you can try feeding once a day. This mimics how they would eat in the wild, fewer and larger meals. This may satiate your dogs appetite. *If your dogs breed is prone to bloat GVD it is not recommended to feed 1 large meal per day. Please discuss this with your vet. 

 

Puppies

Yes! You can ween puppies onto a raw diet. If your breeder did not ween your puppy on to raw you can start transitioning them as soon as they come home.

 

How much to feed?

7-10 weeks- 10%-8%

10-16 weeks- 5%-7.5%

16-20 weeks- 5%-6.5%

20-24 weeks- 5%-5.5%

24-36 weeks- 5.5%-4.5%

36-56 weeks- 3.5%

68 weeks to adult- 3%

*Or you can feed 2-3% of their ideal ADULT weight. (Best to look at their parents for this estimate)

 

4 months and under feed 4 times a day

4 to 6 month feed 3 times a day

6 months to a year feed 1-2 times a day

1 year + feed 1-2 meals per day.

 

How to Start?
Puppies transition much faster than adult dogs. So follow the same program for the adult dog, but with a faster timeline.

I call it the 3-5 rule

Your first 3-5 days boneless skinless chicken or turkey (again, breast is best) After 3-5 days start adding soft bone like chicken necks or feet at 10% of their meal. If your puppy has solid poops then start adding new proteins in 3-5 day increments. Again, never  advancing unless your puppies poops are solid. After introducing 3-5 proteins you can start SLOWLY introducing liver and secreting offal. Introducing a new organ every 3-5 days at increasing amounts over the 3-5 days.

First 3-5 first introduction to muscle meat (chicken/turkey)

Next 3-5 days introduce soft bone

Every 3-5 days after that slowly introduce a new protein until they are eating at least 3-5 proteins

Then SLOWLY introduce liver and other secreting organs in 3-5 day increments.