Raw feeders are told to feed at least 10% organ meat – 5% liver and 5% secreting organs. But do we know why? 80/10/10 is an average, an arbitrary number someone came up with when breaking down the makeup of a prey animal. I've tried to figure out who came up...
Feeding raw bones to dogs can be intimidating because many dog owners have been warned of the dangers of feeding bones to dogs. However, raw feeders feed raw bones to their dogs regularly with little issue. There are two types of raw bones that you'll learn about as a...
Traditionally, we're taught to feed our dogs twice daily – once in the morning and once in the evening. But what if you learned that feeding once a day was better? Or what if you test different feeding routines to find what works best for your dog? I played...
To meet my dogs' nutritional needs, I use a base mix (Raw Vibrance and Paradigm) and alternate proteins in their diet (duck, pork, beef, and chicken). Dog owners are often surprised to learn that pork is one of the main proteins in my dogs' raw diet. Many people...
I transitioned my dogs to Darwin's Natural Pet Products, a local raw food company that ships nationwide. I could alternate between four proteins (beef, duck, chicken, and turkey), and my dogs did great on each one. Eventually, feeding commercial raw became too...
I order 99% of the food I feed my dogs from a local raw food co-op. A raw food co-op is an organization that brings raw feeders together, helping us order ingredients, supplements, and other products as a group to keep costs low. By ordering in bulk, we can buy for...
As dog owners, we always want the best for our dogs, especially their nutrition. Traditionally, dog owners have chosen between kibble and canned dog food. But over the past decade, we've seen a rise in fresh food options, including raw, cooked, freeze-dried, and...
I began adding a vegetable mix to my dogs' diet to help one of our dogs lose weight. I continue making a veggie mix to add fiber, antioxidants, food for the gut bacteria, and additional nutrients to my dogs' diet. Although dogs are carnivores, they benefit from adding...
When I was new to DIY, I spent every Saturday cutting up chicken for the meat grinder. I went through three meat cleavers before I realized, “You get what you pay for.” In this post, I will share how I chose my knives, the best knives for raw feeders, and...
I have been raw feeding for the past ten years and got my start by connecting with some wonderful people who ordered in bulk from a raw food company. I learned what they had going was called a co-op, and their hard work and dedication to bringing these wonderful...
I recently began consuming a teaspoon of MCT oil with my morning tea. I'm also adding the same dose to the morning meals of our senior dogs. I feel more awake, energetic, and happy after only a few days of this routine. So, let's talk about the benefits of MCT oil for...
When I began my raw feeding journey, it never occurred to me to find a course to take to help better understand feeding fresh food to my dogs. I joined several Facebook raw feeding groups and learned the following: Feed 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 5% liver, and 5%...
National Raw Feeding Week is a holiday created by Kimberly Gauthier (that's me) in 2018 when I noticed that raw feeders didn't have a day on Pet Holiday calendars. As I considered this atrocity, I decided we needed a full week. Later, I learned that there is a full...
As a dog owner, you want to ensure your dog gets the best nutrition. In recent years, bison has become increasingly popular as an alternative to beef, making bison a possible option for dogs with a beef intolerance. But what are the differences between the two...
When I was new to raw feeding, I couldn't find raw green tripe. But I found canned green tripe and happily fed that to my dogs until I learned about carrageenan gum. I received many comments from people warning me about the dangers of carrageenan gum. I panicked. Was...
I'm a passionate writer in the Pacific Northwest who loves all things dogs. I share what I'm learning as I attempt to crack the code to longevity. Keep the Tail Wagging is a blog dedicated to the dog who inspired this journey: Rodrigo Gauthier - March 2010 - September 2023.
