Introducing Raw Food to Your Puppy
Introducing raw food to a puppy can sound daunting, but don't stress - it’s not as scary as a lot of people make it out to be!
With the right information and guidance, transitioning your puppy to a raw diet can be simple, rewarding, and incredibly beneficial for their health and development.
What Age Can Puppies Wean Onto a Raw Diet?
Puppies can begin eating raw food as early as 3-4 weeks of age. While not all breeders will wean their puppies onto a raw diet, transitioning to raw once your puppy comes home is entirely possible.
If your puppy hasn’t been introduced to raw food yet, don’t worry—we’ve provided a basic transitioning guide below to help you make the switch smoothly and confidently.
How Do I Transition My Puppy to a Raw Food Diet?
Transitioning your puppy to a raw food diet requires careful planning to avoid digestive upsets. If you’re starting from a kibble-based diet:
Start Slow: Begin by introducing small amounts of raw food alongside their current diet.
One Protein at a Time: Start with a single protein source, such as chicken or turkey, before gradually introducing other proteins like beef, lamb, or fish.
Observe and Adjust: Monitor your puppy’s stools and overall behaviour. If there’s any loose stool or vomiting, slow down the transition process.
Gradually Increase Raw: Over time, increase the proportion of raw food while decreasing kibble until your puppy is fully on raw.
A Balanced and Complete Raw Diet
A balanced raw diet is crucial to support your puppy’s growth and development. It should include:
Muscle Meat: Provides essential protein and energy.
Organ Meat: Nutrient-dense organs like liver and kidney supply vital vitamins and minerals.
Vegetables: Puppies benefit from small amounts of pureed veggies for fiber and antioxidants.
Supplements: Add fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids, and consult your vet or raw feeding expert for additional needs like probiotics or joint support.
All our blends included in the puppy pack (and full range of blends online) are an 70/10/10/10 ratio: 70% Protein, 10% Organ Meat (Offal/liver), 10% Calcium, 10% Plant matter (veg, seeds, oils etc)
How Much Do I Feed a Puppy?
The amount of raw food your puppy needs depends on their weight, age, and breed.
Check out our raw feeding calculator to be sure you're feeding enough raw puppy food.
As they grow, their caloric needs will decrease, and you can adjust feeding to 2-3% of their adult body weight spread across 2 meals per day.
Always monitor your puppy’s body condition. If they’re gaining too much weight, reduce their portions; if they seem too thin, increase them slightly.