Dogs and cats evolved eating a natural diet consisting mainly of fresh protein sources. That is a fact. Through marketing, the pet food companies have convinced us that the only way our pets can stay healthy is by feeding them the “balanced diet” that they themselves manufacture - dividing our pets diets into "dry" food and "wet" food.

Dogs and cats do not require any grain at all in their diet. When it is added, the results over time are predictable - poor digestion, bowel trouble, gas, bad breath, itching and scratching, hot spots and more. Remember that feeding and nourishing are not necessarily the same thing.

Of course, many of us don't have the time to prepare our own meals, let alone meals for our pets! Still, it is definitely worth reading the following information to better understand how we can improve our pet's lives with proper nutrition. Any dog or cat can be much, much healthier by eating a simple, prepared-at-home diet along with the right supplements.Even making some small adjustments and adding good supplements can make a world of difference!

A 50 lb.dog will eat approximately one pound of raw (or cooked) food per day, so adjust accordingly. For example a 10 lb. cat would eat 1/5 of a pound (3.2 oz.) daily and a 150 lb. dog would need 3 pounds.

Along with the following recipe ideas, both cats and dogs can (and should) be given raw bones (chicken or turkey necks, wings and backs). Bones must be given raw, cooked bones should NEVER be fed, since when cooked they become brittle and can splinter.

The following will yield approximately 1 cup of food (1/2 lb.)

75% - 6 ounces (3/4 cup) coarse-ground or chopped meat, raw or cooked. A variety of meats, poultry and fish (organic is better) should be rotated: Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Turkey, Rabbit, Venison and their organ meats. Salmon (no skin) Sardines, Smelt and other whole fish. Ground meat mixes better with the vegetables. Chopped meat is also excellent.

25% - 2 ounces (1/4 cup) ground, mixed vegetables, raw or cooked. Any and all of the following vegetables can be used. The more veggies you combine in one meal the better. Feed what’s in season. Asparagus, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chicory, Green Beans, Greens (Dandelion, Kale, Swiss Chard, Parsley), Kohlrabi, Okra, Parsnips, Peas, Pumpkin, Sprouts, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Turnips, Rutabagas.

Optional Ingredients: Whole eggs (including shell) Alfalfa, Kelp, Barley or Wheat Grass, Garlic, Chlorella, Spirulina, Apples, Pears, Bananas, Parsley, Nettles, Walnuts, Almonds, Sunflower seeds. Add purified water (especially if you are going to freeze).

A good vitamin/mineral supplement, digestive enzymes and a little bit of fish oil (omega 3's) on a daily basis will complete the ideal diet! Here are some age-specific suggestions: It is best to add the supplements until just prior to feeding.

ESSENTIAL SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin/mineral
*Dr Goodpet’s Maximum Protection Formula for adult dogs and cats (age 2 - 7 years) add 1 level teaspoon per 10 lbs. of body weight.
*Dr Goodpet’s Optimum Growth Formula for puppies, kittens and lactating or pregnant females add 1 level teaspoon per 10 lbs. of body weight.
*Dr Goodpet’s Golden Age Formula for older pets (age 8 and up) add 1 level teaspoon per 10 lbs. of body weight.
Digestive enzymes
*Dr Goodpet’s Canine or Feline Digestive Enzymes for all dogs, cats, puppies and kittens add ½ teaspoon per cup of food.
Omega 3's and 6's
*Dr Goodpet's Bena Fish Oil for all dogs, cats, puppies and kittens add 1 softgel per day and watch their coats get smoother and shinier as if by magic!

All vegetables must be put through a food processor or blender or chopped finely to be broken down to bite size chunks. Dogs and cats do not digest large pieces of vegetables easily.

Adding fish oil is preferable to vegetable oils as these are not as readily absorbed. Use fish oil made from whole fish as fish liver oil contains too much non-soluble vitamin A. Any product you use should be pure oil guaranteed not to contain PCB's or other pollutants.

GETTING STARTED

Caution! It may cause your pet an upset stomach if you change their diet suddenly, so take some time and start by mixing in the new ingredients with their usual diet. Mix in smaller and smaller amounts of the commercial diet and within a week or so - voila! You’ll be feeding a new, more nutritionally balanced diet. Even if you decide not to go raw, it's still much healthier if you can prepare as much of your pet's food as possible.

Figure out how much food you need to make. If your dog weighs 50 lbs., he will eat about 1 lb. daily. If your cat weighs 7 lbs., she will eat about 4 oz. daily. You might want to make enough for 1-2 weeks and freeze the daily portions.

PREPARATION
Mix meat, veggies, water and supplements thoroughly. Should you feel it necessary, add Grapefruit Seed Extract to the mixture. This will eliminate any bacteria in the food. As humans, we are much more vulnerable to these bacteria than our pet's are!

SERVING
Take a meal out the night before to thaw. Put it in the refrigerator and the next day it is ready to eat. If you feed twice daily, divide the meal in half. Once the food is thawed, feed ½ in the morning and ½ in the evening.

Dr. Ian Billinghurst's "Give Your Dog a Bone", Kymythy R. Schultze's, "The Ultimate Diet" , Ann Martin's "Food Pets Die For" and Pat McKay's "Reigning Cats and Dogs" are all good books that contain more information regarding raw food diets.