Switch to Raw Guide
We recommend a straight switch to raw, there is no need to gradually introduce. Pick your day and make the switch to a totally healthy and natural diet!
However, if you wish to add raw in increasing amounts, while decreasing the old food over 3-5 days, that is fine too. There are no hard and fast rules here, so do what you feel is right for your dog and his or her needs. The most important thing is that you have chosen to make the switch, and whether you do right away or over a few days, you will be doing the best thing you could do for your doggo!
The Easy Switch 4 Week Plan
Week 1: Classic Turkey or Classic Lamb Tripe and Turkey
Week 2: Classic Beef Tripe and Chicken or Classic Beef Tripe and Duck
Week 3: Classic Beef and Duck or Classic Beef, Rabbit and Duck
Week 4: Paleo Plus Lamb & Mint complete or Paleo Plus Tukey & Fish complete
Week 5: Try some more flavours from our Classic 80-10-10 or Paleo Plus ranges of complete feeds. We also do some great hampers.
Now your dog is fully transitioned, you should be seeing the many benefits of natural raw feeding. Excitement at mealtimes, less upsets and/or allergies, softer coat, cleaner teeth, healthier with more vitality and happy and fulfilled, to mention a few!
Remember Variety is Key
When feeding raw, variety is essential. Dogs will gain different levels of nutrients from different animals so, the more variety the better.
You should be aiming to feed at least 5-6 different species i.e. lamb, beef, duck, chicken, fish, pork, venison, turkey, kangaroo etc over a 2-month period. Once fully transitioned to raw, you can add a raw egg (including the shell) or whole fish once or twice per week. Bone broth is a great addition too!
To ensure your dog is getting everything they need after you have fully transitioned to raw, we recommend choosing a variety of complete feeds from our Classic Range of 80-10-10 complete meals and our Paleo Plus complete meals.
Fruit & Veg
Many people like to add vegetables and/or fruit to their dog’s raw diet. For those that want to feed raw with additions, our Berrygood offers an incredible superfoods boost. Our Paleo Plus range also includes this mix of superfoods. You can also add Berrygood to any of our Classic Range to give a superfood boost.
For those who do not wish to feed fruit or veg, our Classic Range 80-10-10 meals and DIY range are perfect.
Dogs do not possess the stomach enzymes capable of breaking down vegetable matter, so mostly is just passes through. This is why blitzing, pulping or grinding is always recommended.
A raw fruit or vegetable treat like a carrot or banana, goes down well with many dogs and is certainly better than a processed treat. Blueberries are excellent for training, not only are they delicious, they are packed with antioxidants.
Bones
Chewing on bones offers a great source of mental and physical enrichment for your dog. Bone should be fed sparingly and should always be supervised. Too much bone will cause constipation and could lead to impaction.
Dogs that are given bone too early when switching, often vomit it back up a few hours later (some don’t and that's fine too). This is because the stomach acids have not increased sufficiently to properly digest bones. Don’t panic! If they are sick and seem fine in every other way, they may just need a little more time for their stomach to adjust. We recommend waiting until you have finished the 4-week plan.
Raw fed dogs have much higher stomach acidity than kibble fed dogs. This is perfectly natural and is important in helping dogs to digest meat and bone.
Water Intake
Raw fed dogs obtain a lot of moisture from their food so you will notice your dog drinking less. If you are switching from kibble, there can be a very noticeable reduction in water intake. This is perfectly normal.
Dogs should always have unlimited access to fresh water.
Stools
Raw fed dogs poop much less. When switching to raw, dogs can often go a day or two without pooping at all. Raw is totally natural and as such is moisture rich and highly digestible. Waste is minimal as the body utilises all the moisture and goodness.
Raw fed dogs produce stools that are much smaller, and pellet-like. Often only passing stools once a day, sometimes skipping a day. This is totally normal. As long your dog is happy and comfortable, this is fine.
If you have any concerns at all, please do not hesitate to contact us on:
FAQ's
We advise only using raw manufacturers that can prove they have high standards. This will ensure the raw food you buy has been sourced, handled, prepared and stored correctly and is safe to feed. Call and question companies before you purchase. Find a company you can trust, check independent feedback like Google and Feefo.
Paleo Ridge are currently the most accredited Raw Dog Food manufacturer in the UK. We have sought and gained, independent and globally recognised accreditation:
- OF&G Organic approved
- ISO 9001 approved
- Ethical pet award approved
- DEFRA approved (Defra licence no 15/103/8003/ABP/PTF)
Independent, unannounced audits are mandatory for these extra accreditations. This ensures we meet their very high standards, every single day. The standards laid down by DEFRA are very basic compared to our other accreditations.
Please see our hygiene instructions on how to safely handle and store raw dog food in the home.
Paleo Ridge is officially the Best Raw Dog Food in the UK, second year in a row!
See our Customer Reviews here.
We recommend a straight switch to raw, there is no need to gradually introduce. Pick your day and make the switch to a totally healthy and natural diet.
However, if you wish to add raw in increasing amounts, while decreasing the old food over 3-5 days, that is fine too. There are no hard and fast rules here, so do what you feel is right for your dog and his or her needs. The most important thing is that you have chosen to make the switch, and whether you do right away or over a few days, you will be doing the best thing you could do for your doggo!
Please read our Switch to Raw guide for detailed information on how to switch.
A balanced and nutritious raw diet must include variety. You should be aiming to feed at least 5-6 different species ie lamb, beef, duck, chicken, pork, venison, turkey, fish, kangaroo etc over a 2-month period.
When feeding raw, variety is essential. Dogs will gain different levels of nutrients from different animals so the more variety the better.
To ensure your dog is getting everything they need, we recommend choosing a variety from our Classic Range of 80-10-10 complete meals, and our Paleo Plus complete meals.
- Classic Range 80-10-10 complete meals come in 1kg packs
- Paleo Plus complete meals come in 500g packs
- Classic Mini complete meals come is 250g pouches
Classic mini pouches are very convenient and ideal for small breeds, holidays, day trips etc.
If your dog has allergies or intolerances, just make sure the products you buy do not contain what they cannot have.
We do not recommend mixing raw with kibble. When changing to a totally natural, healthy diet, we recommend feeding only Raw.
By mixing, you are feeding a highly processed and un-healthy food with a totally natural and healthy diet. When mixing, you may not see all the benefits or raw feeding.
Vets are not nutritionists and are often misinformed. Vets are subject to the same blanket advertising and sales pitches from processed food manufacturers as the buying public. The media is a very powerful tool.
The majority of veterinary professionals that advocate against feeding a natural raw diet, are the only professional body who actively promote feeding highly processed feeds, over natural healthy ones. This is at odds to every bit of evidence and science, globally. As humans, we know that highly processed foods are very bad for us, why would this be different for our four legged companions?
For more information from Pro Raw vets, and to find one near you, please see Raw Feeding Veterinary Society
No. We do not recommend refreezing the food once it has fully defrosted. Once fully defrosted, it will last in the fridge for 3 days.
Due to the biodegradable and compostable packaging keeping our products very well insulated, it can take around 48 hours to defrost a pack in the fridge.
For further information, please see FAQ's - How Can We Help?