This guide is for weaned puppies that are on kibble or any type of food other than raw. (Download here)A few golden rules to follow.
Rule #1 – Don’t rush.
Take your time. All puppies are unique and allow yourself 7-12 days for transitioning.
Rule #2 - Monitor.
Always monitor your pup’s health and stools
Rule #3 - Don’t Panic.
Vomiting or diarrhea can occur as long as puppy is hydrated it’s fine but always keep and emergency natural vet contact handy.
It’s not recommended to start pups off with complete balanced meals or large bones as you would feed and adult dog, as it can cause problems. Even naturally weaned puppies need a transition period from their mother. The whole idea of a pup having balanced meals comes from the mother feeding her pups milk. The mother regurgitates her “Fully balanced meal” to start the pups association with eating solid foods. As the pup gets used to this, they begin to eat like their mother.
Raw Green Tripe is MUST for your puppy. It contains large amounts of healthy probiotics which helps the good bacteria in your pups gut compete with harmful bacteria like E. coli, listeria, and salmonella.
Probiotics keep bad bacteria from overtaking your pet’s digestive system, helps healthy gut microbiome and prevents your pup getting sick. Acidophilus is naturally found in animal intestines, including your puppy. Including acidophilus in your pups diet, means an increase in the number of beneficial bacteria that live in the gut which is responsible for up to 70% of your pups immune system! Pups fed on a kibble or commercial diet should be fed green tripe immediately!
Remember Rule #1 – Don’t rush.This takes time.
TRANSITIONING
The good news is puppies adjust quickly, so the transition to raw food lasts from kibble is around half the time than it takes for an adult.
Kibble fed puppies need to go from a pH of 5-6 (moderately acidic) to a pH of 1-2 (highly acidic). Highly acidic Ph eliminates pathogens and allows the puppy to digest bone. Allow minimum of 7 days for a kibble weaned puppy to raw fed so
PUPPY DAILY MEALS
AFTER 7-11 DAYS
Puppies need at least 3 mg of calcium per Calorie (three times the amount of calcium that adult dogs need). It’s especially important not to give too much calcium to large-breed puppies during their first six months, as they are segment most likely to develop bone and joint abnormalities when given the incorrect calcium and phosphorus amounts. Puppies also need more phosphorus than adult dogs do. Never add plain calcium to a puppy’s diet, puppies need bones that provide the correct amount and ratio of calcium to phosphorus.
Pups, unlike adult dogs, cannot adequately regulate how much dietary calcium they absorb from the intestinal tract. Sometimes they absorb and retain too much calcium which can cause skeletal malformations
Start introducing denser or harder bones in addition to the softer bones we've been introducing over the past few weeks. New proteins should be slowly introduced over 3-4 days. A minimum of 4 proteins should be fed in rotation and the more grass fed/free ranged red meat is superior when it comes to protein types and quality.
Bones such as beef supporting bones are too dense to digest, leading to the build-up of bone, and may also crack teeth if you feed it whole.
After introduction of 4 proteins is complete, it’s time to introduce organs. Use caution when introducing organs because the nutrients in organs are highly concentrated and could cause upset stomachs and diarrhea. Start with a small amount ea tablespoon and gradually increase over the week.
After a successful introduction to organs you can work up towards to 5% approx. allowance and you’re now well on your way to complete raw feeding.