Raw Food Diet Menu for Dogs

Many people, after they've decided to move from a kibble diet to a raw food diet, haven't any idea where to start in order to select a healthful meal for their dog. Considering this, I thought I'd share an example meal I give my own older (age 10 and 12) dogs and why I decided on those items and times. My dogs are older and don't need as much as a pup would. So for an older dog, the menu looks like:

Unlimited throughout the day
* Fresh water in a glass bowl
* Cauliflower
* Carrots
* Tomatoes
* Asparagus
* Green Bell Pepper

Breakfast
* 3-5% of their weight in pork riblets

Training treats
* Apricots
* 10 raw almonds

Afternoon
* 2 tablespoons pumpkin
* 2-4 ounces organic cranberry juice

Evening
* 1 Turkey tail ( if they've been active or if it's very cold outside)
* Supplements
o 1 Digestive enzyme tablet
o 1 Chlorella tablet
o 1 Flax oil tablet
o 1 Fish oil tablet
o 1 Brewer's Yeast tablet


For my older dogs, I make sure they've got a 40-30-30 ratio of meat-bone-fat. The meat gives the building blocks for new muscle to develop as well as a stringy consistency for cleaning back teeth. Bone provides the right kind of digestible calcium for a dog's body. Fat, thought to be a bad thing in human diets, provides the opportunity for a dog to floss" their front teeth and helps their digestive tract get the right pH level.

The veggies are selected from all colors available and should include at least one from each color family.

* Tomatoes are high in the antioxidant vitamins beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E, as well as the carotenoid lycopene. This means that tomatoes are helpful in preventing heart disease and cancers. Tomatoes are also high in potassium but very low in sodium which means they help combat high blood pressure and fluid retention.
* Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables, providing potassium, fiber, folacin, thiamin, vitamin B6, rutin (an antioxidant). It also contains glutathione (GSH). GSH is one of the most potent anti carcinogens and antioxidants found.
* Cauliflower provides indole-3-carbinol (13C), the photonutrient sulforaphane, vitamin C, folate, vitamin E and betacarotene.
* Carrots provide beta-carotene, which turns into Vitamin A in the intestines. They also provide fiber, antioxidants, and crucial minerals.


Our selection of fruits are used mostly as treats more than an unlimited sort of food. I select fruits that are easy to carry around for training needs, as well as for digestive and taste preferences.

* Apricots are a preferred fruit and make training easy.
* Pumpkin is a unique food in that it regulates the stool consistency to a happy medium. I use this fresh if I can, but will also get it in a can (Libby's) if necessary.
* Cranberry juice has some surprising benefits including anti-inflammatory for arthritic joints. It does, of course, also deliver the same urinary tract benefits as it does for humans.


Raw almonds provide protein, calcium, B vitamins, and healthy fats. My dogs love them, so I use them as a training sort of treat, as well, since they're do just about anything to get me to part with them!

If cold, or if my dog was exceptionally busy, I'll add a second meat meal, in the form of a turkey tail, too.

Supplements included provide various benefits, too, such as

* Flax oil provides Omega 3-6-9.
* Fish oil provides Omega 3-6-9.
* Brewer's Yeast keeps fleas and ticks at bay.
* Chlorella is a natural superfood and provides a gentle detox.
* Digestive enzymes ensure the flora of the digestive system remains in tip top shape.


Lastly, I need to reiterate a warning about what foods your dog(s) should never, never, never eat.

* Chocolate
* Onions
* Macadamia nuts
* Raisins
* Grapes


For more information about how I care for my dogs, please visit furheads.com or search the site you're on now for more articles I've written.


Disclosure Statement: I am not a veterinarian; I do not diagnose medical issues, offer medical advice, prescribe drugs, or perform surgery. I am a freelance journalist writing about my experiences with my own dogs, incorporating many different complimentary tools found for my own dogs to overcome potential health concerns I have for them. I have been keeping a journal of my findings since July of 1996; I have been privileged to work with several hundred other canines and their families in a wide range of life situations as of the writing of this statement and will gladly provide references should you desire them. Your dog(s) may benefit from the care I've provided my own dogs, based on knowledge gained through this experience, courses taken/taught, and animal communication. My role is that of facilitator, assisting you and your dog(s) to attain or maintain a naturally healthy state. The specific results you may see, should you decide to try some of what we've done in our family, will be different for each animal. In addition to the articles I write and publish, I also teach massage, Usui Reiki, Quantum Touch, and Animal Communication to owners, caretakers, and practitioners; sell products for animals in these and other holistic and vibrational modalities; provide references to other animal communicators and practitioners.