Getting a puppy comes with so much information you have to ask, which jabs have they had, how old are they etc, but also what do they eat? It’s advised that you carry on feeding the food the breeder gives you whilst they settle in, as you’ve brought them into a new home and environment and they need some continuity.
Often the food they come with may not be for you or existing dogs might be on a different brand. So over time you will change to whatever suits you, so why not switch them over to RAW to give them the best possible diet right from the start. I feed my dogs Naturaw and it’s easier than you could imagine!
If you’re planning on having a litter yourself then have a think on what food to raise them on. Puppies can be weaned straight onto Raw from 3-4 weeks whilst still with mum. It’s then a great opportunity for the breeder to educate all the new owners on continuing the RAW diet & giving the pups the healthiest diet to grow up with. At first RAW may not be for them, especially if they’re a first time dog owner feeding RAW may seem a bit overwhelming. However feeding RAW completes are so easy, just remembering to defrost the meat 24 hours before then weighing it out into the dogs bowls. Nothing extra needs to be added as it’s all included in there.
Something which a lot of dog trainers encourage is to use their dog food as treats. Training happens at all ages but you’re building their foundations as a puppy so treats are always around. Feeding their dinner whilst training keeps their mind busy but also uses less treats as they’re working for their dinner, something that isn’t as easy with RAW food. But you can find natural treats that go well alongside a RAW diet.
Puppies will need different levels of ingredients & nutrients to help them grow. The Naturaw Puppy box contains complete and natural dog food diet for growing, healthy puppies. Complete means that it has the right amount of proteins, fruit and veg so all you have to do is weigh it out into your dogs bowl!
Obviously you will be feeding a puppy different amounts of food compared to the same adult dog. Naturaw advise ‘2-3% of the puppy’s eventual adult bodyweight. If you’re not sure what this will be try 10% of his or her current weight. Remember also that this 2/3% is the amount of food per day, depending on the puppy’s age this may be split into 3 or 4 meals throughout the day, going down to 2 or 3 as they get older.
We held a poll on Facebook and Instagram asking our followers that RAW feed if they wish they’d started earlier, 86% of people who answered our poll wished that they had started RAW feeding their dogs earlier, I certainly do. 13 years ago when Woody was a puppy it wasn’t as easy and accessible to RAW feed as it is now, and when Wilma was younger I just didn’t know enough about it. However Wyn was weaned onto RAW by her breeder and will hopefully be RAW fed for the rest of her life! It’s amazing to see the benefits of raising a puppy on RAW food.
Naturaw have a website full of useful information and also have their puppy range for your dogs to switch over to. I have a fortnightly delivery from them which is on an automatic subscription so I don’t have to worry about forgetting to order dog food or ordering too much that it won’t fit in my freezer.
If you’ve got any questions about switching to RAW feeding then just get in contact with Naturaw and they can give you the best advice.
Thanks of reading,
Megan, Woody, Wilma & Wyn
The Cotswold Spaniels 