Transitioning to raw feeding with raw bites
As pet owners, we strive to always provide the best for our beloved pooches to ensure they live healthy and happy lives. One of the most impactful decisions you can make is choosing a nutritious and healthy diet.
The decision to switch your dog’s diet to raw food is a great one, but do you now find yourself thinking the process a little daunting? Well, we have this handy guide to help you through the transition process, so let’s jump in!
How do I introduce raw food to my dog?
A slow transition over (about 2 weeks) is recommended when introducing raw food to your dog. For the first few days, start by adding small amounts of raw food while removing small amounts of their old diet, about 20% consisting of raw food and 80% consisting of their old diet. Then, continue to increase the amount of the raw food portion by 20% while decreasing the old diet every few days until you are feeding 100% raw food.
Check out the guide below for a simple breakdown of the transition process.
Keep in mind that this is just a guide, so don’t stress about the percentages too much. The priority here is simply working towards slowly changing out your dog’s food.
How do I monitor my dog during the transition process?
Taking the time to transition your pooch slowly to raw food minimises stomach upsets which can be common in sudden changes of diet. The easiest way to monitor your dog’s reaction to raw food is checking their stools. A stomach or digestive upset will become obvious if your dog is experiencing diarrhea. If this does occur, stop the transition and it will usually settle within a few days. If the diarrhea continues, it is best to seek veterinary advice.
You can also check out this poo guide for reference!
If you notice your dog drinking less water, don’t fret! Our raw food diets naturally contain high levels of moisture due to all the rich and bio-available ingredients, which means your dog will most likely drink less water.
It’s important to remember that your dog’s digestive system is designed to process raw food, which is why we are all about a species appropriate diet.
Which Big Dog raw food is best for transitioning my dog?
When transitioning to raw feeding for the first time, most of our recipes are a great option, but we love to recommend our Raw Bites range and here’s why:
Firstly, our Raw Bites range come in frozen, gem-shaped bites formulated with some of our most popular recipe flavours, including Chicken, Tassie Salmon, Kanga, and Sensitive Skin. The shape makes it super easy to introduce to your dog as they can be used as a treat or sprinkled on top of their old diet.
If you are introducing Raw Bites to your puppy, we do not recommend our Kanga recipe due to its low-fat content, as growing puppies need fat in their diet. You can check out this guide to learn more about raw feeding for your puppy.
The Raw Bites are also stored in a convenient re-sealable bag that you can easily place back in the freezer after taking your desired portion.
How to serve:
Place your dog’s required portion in the fridge and allow time for defrosting and serve to your pet once fully thawed! If required sooner, place in warm water to thaw but do not cook as our recipes contain bone. Keep thawed bites in the fridge for no longer than 48 hours.
Check out how to serve raw bites to your dog here:
Once your dog has fully transitioned to raw food, and if you have a small dog, you can continue to feed them Raw Bites. However, if you have a larger dog, we do recommend switching to one of our Patty or Roll flavours, as this is a more economical option. You won’t need to transition your dog between Big Dog flavours, as all our recipes are raw food.