1. Components – The first step to a healthy raw diet is to pay attention to what’s on the box when you buy your raw food! For a healthy approach, make sure your raw food tries to meet these percentages:

A minimum of 65% muscle meat
10% organ meat
10-15% bone content

2. Rotate! – Balance is achieved by rotating proteins. The nutritional value from one protein type to the next (for example, from lamb to fish to beef) differs greatly and each dog’s nutritional needs are unique. In the wild, dogs would hunt different types of prey and this helped provide nutritional balance to the diet. When feeding a raw diet to your pet, you want to create a similar balance to ensure they receive a spectrum of nutrients. Dogs don’t need daily protein rotation, but need it over a longer period of time. We recommend rotating between 3-4 proteins per month.

3. Supplements – It’s always a good idea to supplement for that extra boost of nutrients and to promote optimal health. There are a lot of supplements to choose from, but a good place to start is by:

Adding omega 3 (recommended: minimum of 3x per week)
Adding kelp (recommended: minimum of 3x per week)

Happy feeding!

HOW DO I THAW THE FOOD FOR MY PET?

We recommend thawing your raw dinner in your refrigerator overnight. Simply remove the package from the freezer, place it in a designated container, and pop it into your fridge.

IS RAW FOOD SAFE FOR MY PET?

Yes. Canine saliva contains an array of antimicrobial peptides and enzymes, immunoglobulins, and proteins that destroy bacteria. Canine and feline digestive systems are designed differently than humans, as they have a much shorter digestive tract, with a highly acidic gut, allowing for the safe and proper digestion of raw meat and bone.

Naturawls uses only federally or provincially inspected human grade ingredients and grinds fresh, frozen human grade meat to ensure naturally occurring bacteria does not have a chance to multiply to unsafe levels.

HOW ARE NATURAWLS DINNERS AND TREATS MADE?

All of Naturawls dinners are created from frozen to ensure our meat remains fresh and safe for consumption. Our meats are all double ground using a 1/4 inch plate to ensure texture with easily digestible bone pieces. Our dinners are packaged in convenient 1/2 lb and 1 lb individually wrapped packs for dogs and 1/4 lb individually wrapped packs for cats. Naturawls dehydrated treats are all single ingredient treats. Dehydration is the method of the slow, gentle removal of moisture from raw ingredients. Only human grade meat products are used for our dehydrated treats and dinners and all of our products are manufactured at our facility in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada.

HOW DO I SWITCH MY PET FROM KIBBLE TO RAW?

For both dogs and cats, we recommend skipping a meal then switching directly from a kibble diet to a raw diet. It is important to note that kibble and raw food digest differently. Kibble expands in the stomach, while raw food does not. Kibble is typically 40% starch, making it very high in carbohydrates which increases the pH level of your pet’s stomach, thus decreasing acidity. Raw fed pets have very low pH levels (high acidity) in their stomach which makes for ideal digestion of raw meats and bones. For this reason, we do not recommend feeding raw food and kibble together in the same meal.

Cats can be a bit more finicky. If your cat is a picky eater, we recommend purchasing some high-quality canned cat food and slowly mixing in a bit of raw to the canned food. Over time, increase the amount of raw meat and decrease the amount of wet canned food until a complete transition has been achieved.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT WHEN I SWITCH MY PET TO A RAW FOOD DIET?

Every pet is a bit different! The first thing the majority of pet parents notice is an increase in the overall happiness and vitality of their pet. The most common changes you will generally see are: increased energy levels, a brighter and shinier coat, less shedding, decreased bowel frequency, smaller stools, healthier gums and cleaner teeth.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I FEED MY PET?

The general recommendation is to feed 2-3% of the ideal healthy adult body weight. Check-out our food calculator for a precise calculation for your pet! It is important to remember that every dog or cat has individual needs based on age, breed, lifestyle, activity level and body condition. Feeding recommendations are simply a guideline.

DO I NEED TO ADD SUPPLEMENTS?

We always recommend supplementing for optimal health. This includes adding omega 3 oil and kelp a minimum of 3 times per week. For more information on supplements, head over to baierun.com

CAN I COOK THE FOOD?

No. Naturawls raw pet food contains bone and when bone is heated it can become brittle, splinter and cause digestive hazards.

ONCE THAWED, HOW LONG DOES RAW FOOD LAST IN THE FRIDGE?

We recommend feeding Naturawls as quickly as possible to maintain freshness and nutrient value. In the fridge, once completely thawed, Naturawls raw dinners will last up to four days. We do not advise re-freezing food once thawed.

I THINK MY PET HAS ALLERGIES, WILL RAW HELP?

Naturawls raw pet food is a limited diet with little processing. This makes it ideal for pets with suspected food intolerances, digestive issues, skin issues and other chronic health problems. Many pets that are thought to have allergies to specific proteins in kibble do not have the same allergy to that protein when switched to raw.

It is important to note that it is helpful to add a high-quality omega-3 oil or omega-3 rich whole food source when feeding raw. Many raw meats are high in omega-6 fatty acids. It is important to have a balanced omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. When there is an excess of omega-6 in the body, it presents as inflammation which can resemble a food intolerance.

WHY DOES RAW CAT FOOD NOT CONTAIN VEGETABLES?

Cats are obligate carnivores which means that they need to get their nutrients from meat. Cats do not have the ability to optimally utilize nutrients from fruits and vegetables the way dogs can. Naturawls adds a small amount of pumpkin to our kitten formulation for fiber which can assist with the passing of hairballs.