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When I transitioned our dogs to a raw diet; I fed partial raw. Today, I know that this wasn't necessary, but I'm glad that I did it, and I believe it's a viable solution for many people who don't have the time or finances for an entirely raw diet.
Benefits of Feeding a Partial Raw Diet
Feeding a partial raw diet…
- Allows you to take the time to research your dog's new diet.
- Allows your dog to slowly transition and for you to see what does and doesn't work for him/her.
- Can be less expensive, allowing you to fit premade raw into your budget (I recommend Darwin's Pet or Raw Paws Pet).
- Is an easy way to add fresh food into your dog's diet.
- Is less time consuming and complicated while being more convenient.
- Requires less storage and no need for multiple freezers.
- Takes away some of the worry about feeding a balanced diet.
- Allows others in the house (or a pet sitter) to feed the dogs too.
I fed our dogs partial raw, because I wasn't sure what our budget would look like, we had an enormous bag of Halo Purely for Pets that I wanted them to finish, and I was nervous.
How I Fed a Partial Raw Diet to My Dogs
I got the idea of feeding a partial raw food diet from a book I found on Amazon: A Quick Start Guide to Raw Feeding by Louise Chapman.
Based on what I read in this book and after a consultation with Darwin's Pet, I chose to change one meal a day to raw food.
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN | |
| Morning (5:30am) | Raw Meal | Raw Meal | Raw Meal | Raw Meal | Raw Meal | Canned Green Tripe | Canned Green Tripe |
| Evening (5:30pm) | Dry Dog Food | Dry Dog Food | Dry Dog Food | Dry Dog Food | Dry Dog Food | Dry Dog Food | Dry Dog Food |
This was the feeding schedule for our dogs for 2-1/2 months. Once we ran out of dry dog food, we switched the evening meals to raw dog food.
Don't Mix Raw and Kibble in Same Meal
One thing I learned during this time was never to mix the raw and kibble together. This is a discussion that some raw feeders disagree about – I've often seen raw feeders share pictures of meals that contain raw meat, vegetables, and kibble. They add kibble to make sure their dog is eating a balanced diet. I was warned that mixing kibble and raw in the same meal would make our dogs sick, because kibble takes longer to digest than raw. While the kibble is digesting, the raw remains in the dog's digestive system longer and starts to decompose, which causes digestive upset.
Is this true? I honestly don't know. Sounds right, but I've heard different things from various people, including someone who tested it out and received opposite results (kibble digested faster). Either way, I'm not about to test it on my dogs.
J did test the kibble+raw theory (not on purpose) and Rodrigo vomited like an over-served frat boy on half the sofa.
Transitioning Our Dogs to a Full Raw Diet
When we were out of dry dog food, I increased our monthly shipment from Darwin's Pet and we were raw feeders. It was so easy. We started seeing the benefits of a raw diet the first few weeks, when the dogs were only eating 50% raw. I was excited to see the health benefits with a full raw diet.
Feeding premade raw is easy to do – just open the package, dump food into the dog dish, and add supplements. It's not rocket science; it's just expensive. When we became a four dog home, I had to make raw on my own and that's when I had to work through protein allergies, streamlining supplements, and creating a balanced diet.
Making raw at home isn't hard. I use The Honest Kitchen as a base mix, I mix in raw meat (and organ and bone), and supplements specific to each dog. Many days, I found myself over thinking our dogs' diet, because I was listening to the well-intentioned advice of other raw feeders.
Feeding a Balanced Raw Diet to My Dogs
Now that I'm 100% responsible for our dogs' nutrition, I can quickly respond to health issues that come up by making a change in our dogs' diet. Raw isn't the answer for everything, but so far, it has been the best decision for our dogs; especially Rodrigo.
| RODRIGO'S HEALTH ISSUES | DRY DOG FOOD DIET | RAW DOG FOOD DIET |
| Chronic ear infections | Every other month | Rodrigo hasn't had an ear infection since switching to raw. |
| Licking paws until they develop sources | All the time | Only when hair gets tangled between his toes and it's irritating – trim the hair, licking stops |
| Environmental allergies | Spring – Fall, after the lawn was mowed | Rodrigo still has environmental allergies, but symptoms are less frequent – soaking paws in Epson salt and rubbing with coconut oil helps. |
| Protein allergies | Could only eat salmon kibble | Raw offers more protein options for Rodrigo that he can eat and there are no hidden ingredients (i.e. chicken, turkey, beef). |
| Digestive issues | Daily soft stool/diarrhea | Soft stool a few times a month; diarrhea rarely. |
| Skin issues | Monthly rashes, itchy/dry skin | Rodrigo hasn't had a rash since switching to raw; his skin and coat are healthy. |
| Joint issues | Daily pain in front leg | Rodrigo is a happy, active dog who races around our property and loves long walks. |
Rodrigo is a Border Collie / Blue Heeler Mix
If you're interested in feeding raw, but a little nervous about getting started, try a partial raw diet. Although there are raw feeders who disagree with this option, I think that any raw is better than no raw. Personally, once I started replacing processed foods with fresh foods in my diet, I felt great, and I lost 10 pounds in 4 months. I still eat the occasional french fry or soda, but for the most part, I prefer natural unprocessed foods. And so do my dogs.
Thanks for sharing your routine. This is going to be helpful to so many people looking for information.
I feed my Chocolate Lab Primal raw with Fromm at the same time. In my view people mix canned food with kibble, He is now 10 years old and I have completely switched him to raw. He is more active now than he was as a puppy. His teeth and gums are amazing before the raw diet he did have tartar build up. It is gone today except for one tooth. Shedding is greatly reduced and if you ever had a lab you know how bad they shed year round. His fur is real soft and it shines like a star when the sun hits it. He doesn’t need as many baths before raw he had to have one every two weeks, I went several months and didn’t realize it was that long and when i gave him a bath I couldn’t believe how much dirt wasn’t on him. Raw diet I don’t know for sure but he doesn’t seem to get fleas and he has only had 2 pills this year. I am completely sold on Primal I do rotate proteins cool ones in the summer (Duck, Pork, Beef)and hot proteins in the winter (Lamb, chicken and every now then venison). I also add 2 oz goats milk everyday. I do add 2 spoons of elixir joint. I do spend a small fortune on him but he is my best friend and he hasn’t been sick which means no vet visits.
That is fantastic and an excellent example of the benefit of adding fresh food to our dogs’ diet.
My dog came from a shelter so he had crappy kibble all his life.
It took him ca. 5 days to get used to high-quality kibble and raw, I used the mixed diet just like you did in the beginning and he is now thriving on it. I got a balanced dog with healthy digestion, less gas and an incredibly shiny coat.
I don’t have the space nor the money to feed full raw but I think if he is doing well that means it is alright. And getting raw 7 times a week is better than 0.
I agree; I think it comes down to the dog. Rodrigo, one of my dogs, got very sick when we mixed the two in the same meal, but when fed in separate meals, he was fine. So I find it important to give people a heads up that mixing the two may make their dog vomit if the dog has any digestive issues. That way if it happens, they don’t freak out.
The idea that it’s bad to feed raw and dry at the same time seems overly cautious. Humans eat raw-dry-fried-whatever foods together and it doesn’t make them sick. I’m pretty sure the broccoli I just ate will take longer to digest than the raw fish I just ate in my sushi, but I don’t expect to get sick from it! Also, a dog’s digestive system seems to be ironclad. They eat grass, garbage, dirt and poop, for heaven’s sake. My dog gets raw and kibble together and is just fine.
Your dog is so lucky to have you, Deb <3
Thank you for your article. I have a dog from the Dominican Republic and had no history on her except for the fact she ate garbage. I started raw the day she arrived and it was too much, too soon as it was probably healthier than anything she was ever used to. I tweaked the diet, pulled back on the salmon oil and nutrients for a few weeks when I realized raw is about LONG TERM health not daily health and that she would benefit from it over time. Her belly was red and rashy for a month and I read it was normal and that the body is detoxifying from all the processed food and garbage that was in her system. I make my own now with kelp supplements, a dash of salmon oil and probiotic mix (Missing Link brand) and at night I give her a very high quality fish kibble. She does well on the raw chicken (Pet value) that has the bone and organ meat already ground in with the muscle meat. Eventually I will go full raw but it’s only been a few months since she has been here with us in Canada. Your article was inspiring.
Thanks for all these this great article!
I have been thinking of changing my Yorkshire’s food from dry to raw food. Sometimes I give them a meal of raw turkey I grind at home and they love it. Other times I dry turkey breast and give them as treats.
I have not yet made the change from dry to raw because I was not sure how to balance their diet and keep it healthy. I liked the idea of feeding raw in morning and dry in evening and I will start with this diet going forward.
I live in Florida where allergy is a high concern since I move here. I am feeding royal canin allergy prescription but honestly I have a problem trusting any pet food manufacturer these days so i want to at least move to partial raw and see the benefits before going full raw.
Really appreciate all the article and comments posted here as well.
Hi Katrina…if your dog isn’t showing signs of illness (listlessness, lack of appetite), then I think that this may be a sign of detox or an irritated digestive tract. My dogs have been on raw for years, but one occasionally has mucus on the poop so I now add a digestive supplement to all of their meals to keep the gut healthy. I recommend FullBucket: https://www.keepthetailwagging.com/fullbucket. There are other supplements that are just as great too; this is just the one I buy for my dogs.
Hello,
I started my dog Kira on a partial raw diet. For the first fewdays she was fine, even her stool was harder. But after more time passed (less than a month) I have been seeing mucus in her stool for maybe the past 3 days. Is this normal?
This is one of the many things I’ve changed my mind about. One of my dogs got really sick when raw and kibble were mixed together, but I’ve learned that this is because of his gut issues. Many dogs do GREAT with the mix. It’s all about adding fresh food to a dog’s diet and this can be done in many ways, it doesn’t have to be raw.
I’m happy to hear that your dog is doing so well.
It’s not for everyone, but I’ve been able to feed a partial raw diet with the raw food as a “topper” on my dogs kibble. But he’s a ranch dog and always been given scraps in his breakfast and then free fed all day. He has the stomach of a tank and it just works for him. Thank you though for easing my mind about his partial raw diet. I was afraid I’d have to either completely transition him or stop his kibble altogether.
Hi Patricia
In my opinion, there isn’t a better because every dog is different. I encourage people to feed the best diet they can afford and a hybrid diet, whether raw and kibble or raw and cooked or kibble and cooked, is better than no fresh food at all. This is just my opinion.
Great article, but need clarification. Due to the cost of raw, I have been feeding kibble and raw, actually at the same time/meal, but won’t be comfortable doing so after reading this! Question is, is it better to feed raw and kibble or raw and cooked? What’s your thoughts on that? Thank you!
Every dog is different and while some dogs won’t have the same reaction to proteins when fed a raw diet, some dogs might have an issue. There will be some trial and error. The best food, if you’re concerned, is by Answers Pet Food. Many dogs, no matter their health issues, do well on this food because it’s fermented and the animals are raised in a healthy, non-toxic atmosphere.
Kimberly, my puppy seems to only do well with salmon kibble due to allergies. I am so interested in switching him to raw, but does it matter which raw protein I choose?
I started making a half raw and half cooked food for my dog’s. I cook 1 cup of organic sprouted grain rice, and i dump in about 8 oz. of frozen green beans, frozen carrot’s and either frozen collard’s or spinach. I also add about a cup or so of fresh or frozen blueberrie’s and cook all this together. After it cool’s down, I add raw meat. I use different meat’s everytime I make it so they aren’t eating the same thing every day. I blend up calves liver and chicken gizzard’s in the blender and then pour it in the cooked food along with 1/2 cup of pea protein powder, 3 raw egg’s, a healthy dose of Bragg’s vinegar, some grated ginger and a few tblsp. of olive oil. My dog’s love it and they have had no issue’s. I also use raw hamburger, pork chop’s, lamb and other meat’s. I grind it all in my blender. For treat’s, I give them raw gizzard’s, chicken feet, goat meat cube’s with bone, sardine’s. I also make raw beef jerky for them. They also love plain, whole milk greek yogurt.
I’ve read its better to feed raw in the evenings if doing 50/50.
Hi Nichole…
I saw a change within 2 weeks. I feed Rodrigo raw in the morning and kibble in the evening (not adjusting amounts) until I ran out of kibble, then he got raw in both meals.
I have a video coming out about this later this week over on YouTube and my Facebook page.
Even on a 1/2 & 1/2 diet did you notice the benefits of a raw diet in Rodrigo, or did you not notice the real benefits until you fully switched? I would love to switch to full raw diet, but like many others it’s too expensive at this time. I am wondering if we did a 1/2 & 1/2 diet for a few months if I will still see the benefits in my dog.
Also when transitioning Rodrigo did you still mix the morning kibble with the raw slowly until you fully transitioned him to a full raw morning meal?
You’re articles are so helpful, thank you!
I fed the same amount of kibble that I fed prior to transitioning to raw. The only difference is that the morning meal was raw instead of kibble. There may have been a better way to do this, however, I was brand new and didn’t know any better. This is what was suggested so I followed.
How did you decide how much kibble to feed when you were still 50/50. I know when feeding raw it should be about 2-3% of their weight (adjusting for activity weight issues) so I assume the 50%raw meal will be 50% of this 2-3% but the how much kibble should make up the second meal of the day?
Great read, all around valuable information and I am appreciative I came across this. I’ve got a lot of big decisions to make for my 8 week old Shepsky’s diet. I really really want to feed her an all raw diet but I do not have the space for storage freezers, and the cost is also a factor in my decision. Half raw seems to be the option that would be right for my desires and wallet, I just wanted to make sure I’m doing the best I can for her, she’s gorgeous and so sweet and she deserves the best I can give her! Thanks for all the info!
im feeding dry and raw together, because of the vitimins in kibble are needed. My dogs have not been sick from it. I have not decoded if i am going all the way raw.. I like mixing. I will get the chicken wings and feed them frozen, daily.
For me, making sure my dogs’ raw meals are balanced takes a lot of study and paying attention to their appearance and stool. Despite what some veterinarians say, kibble isn’t a balanced diet for dogs. Although the ingredients appear complete, we have no idea how much of each ingredient is really in the kibble and when it come to the vitamins and minerals, our dogs can end up getting vitamin toxicity because there is too much of the fat soluble vitamins in the food. We’re taught that we pass out the excess vitamins in our urine, but that’s the water soluble vitamins. The fat soluble vitamins – A, D, E, and K – are stored in the body for longer periods of time, building up to toxic levels.
I read a lot, I work with a holistic veterinarian experienced in raw feeding, and pay attention to how my dogs are doing (their weight, coat appearance, skin appearance, and stool color/consistency/size). It seems overwhelming, but it’s actually a lot easier than it seems.
i really liked this article as well! I have just made the switch to raw, but am now going to do partial raw do the nervousness of having an imbalanced diet. If i could only be SURE he was getting everything he needed i would go fully raw. How do you personally know you’re pet’s food is balanced?
Rodrigo is gorgeous! I am not sure if I will ever go “raw” but I will tell you that I love your honesty. The fact that you confess your nervousness spoke volumes to me, as I am sure it will resonate the same to those who are contemplating a switch to raw. So often people who we label SME (subject matter experts) fail to share their hesitations, fears, and mistakes during their journeys. Thank you for being different! Even though I don’t do “raw” – I’ve learned a great deal and my Boys are benefiting from your posts so please – keep on writing….
Partial raw is just what I have to do… going full raw is just too expensive for us right now. I’m hoping one day I’ll have the means to give my dog the diet he deserves, but until then, this will just have to do. But like you said, some raw is better than none.
I did partial raw for a few months before taking the plunge with Neeko and Bruce. Like you, I did one meal of kibble, one meal of raw daily. Then I started feeding all raw on the weekend. After about three months of this, I took the plunge into full raw, and haven’t regretted it for one second. I had no dedicated freezer (I now have 4) and was fearful of balancing it, and diarrhea. Faolan was raw fed immediately upon coming home with me, and I have never fed him kibble. Except that time he ate a pound of cat kibble…
Poor Rodrigo. He had a lot of health issues for a young dog. Glad you found a way to help him.
Great post! We try to feed raw whenever we can afford to! I also agree with you on not feeding kibble and raw at the same time. Kibble does takes forever to digest. Phoenix used to get car sick all the time and I would feed her breakfast and she’d come to work with me. On the way home from work (usually 6 hours or so later), she’d throw up her breakfast and the kibble was still kibble just mushy. It was awful.