Here are five ways to transition your dog from kibble to raw food diet. I will go over each one in some detail to give you an idea of what they are. These are not “official” names for each method, but definitely are more fun than method 1, 2, 3…. . Here they are:
The Cold Turkey
The Nibbler
The Mixer
The AM/PM
“Can you smell what The Rock is cookin”
The Cold Turkey and The Nibbler methods are better suited for puppies and young healthy dogs. The Mixer and The AM/PM methods are more appropriate for puppies and all healthy dogs. The “Can you smell what The Rock is cookin” method is most conservative and thus best approach to take with older dogs or dogs with compromised immune systems. This approach is totally fine for puppies and adult dogs as well.
Generally, with puppies and young dogs, a quick transition to raw feeding is preferred. With older dogs, slower approach is better as it allows their digestive and immune systems more time to get used to the new diet.
With all methods it is important not to rush. While a switch for a puppy might be quick, it still has a few steps involved. Older dogs and dogs with health issues might require anything from two weeks to a few months to fully transition to raw. It all depends on how your dog is adapting to different foods, how available various foods are in your area and what changes you need to make as you identify potential allergies or sensitivities your dog might have.
The more your dog is used to kibble the longer the transition might take. Kibble is generally high in grains and other additives that can compromise a dogs immune system. With eating kibble, the dogs body might also not be used to secreting certain enzymes required to digest raw meat and bone. All these factors can extend the transition period.
You might also have an experience, like I did, that your dog will refuse to eat kibble after getting their first whole raw food meal.
Let’s get started.
Cold Turkey
As the name implies, this one is just an immediate switch from kibble to raw. 100%, right away. The Cold Turkey approach is generally only ok to do with puppies or very young dogs.
Even though you’re switching your dog to 100% was at once, the Cold Turkey approach still has some steps that should be followed.
In order to help you identify any allergies or sensitivities your dog might have, it is recommended that you start with meat, bone and organs from a single protein/animal source at a time and feed that for a few days before introducing meat from a different animal.
It is also recommended to start with lighter meats such as chicken, quail, turkey or rabbit before introducing meats from beef, pork, lamb, venison or other sources.
Taking these steps will not only make it easier for you to identify any allergies but will also make it easier for your dog to adjust to a new diet.
Check out Raw Feeding Puppies - Quick guide to getting started for more details on how to transition a puppy onto a raw food diet.
The Nibbler
The Nibbler method is also best suited for puppies and young dogs.
With this approach, for the first week or two you continue to feed kibble, but provide your dog raw food to nibble on as treats. As with any approach, only one type of animal meat protein source should be introduced at any time to help you identify allergies and sensitivities. It is recommended to start with white meats first. If after the first week things to well either switch to 100% store bought grind of that animal protein or start adding organs and bone (from the same animal source) along with vegetables like steamed leafy greens, carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin.
The Mixer
This method, involves mixing kibble and raw food within your dog's meals.
The recommended approach with this method is to start with adding just a little raw food your pet’s kibble meal at one time. Over a period of two weeks or so, increase the amount of raw food and decrease the amount of kibble. For example start with 7/8 kibble and 1/8 raw. If every two days you are able to adjust the raw to kibble proportion by 1/8, by day 15 you will be on 100% raw food. The process however may be extended if you discover that your dog is sensitive to any sources of proteins.
As with all methods, it’s recommended that you transition starting with one white meat and single animal protein source at a time.
Some owners may have concerns about mixing raw and kibble. There are various thoughts on this. Some believe that mixing raw and kibble can promote bacterial growth within the dogs stomach and intestines as digestion of one takes more time than the other. There has been studies done to suggest this is might not accurate. But you should take approach that you feel is right for your dog.
If you prefer to avoid mixing raw and kibble, check out The AM/PM method.
The AM/PM
The AM/PM method involves gradual transition from kibble to raw, but unlike with The Mixer, raw and kibble are fed at separate meal times. While there is no specific difference between choosing to feed raw in the morning and kibble in the evening, or vice versa, you should do what is most comfortable for you. You might choose to feeding raw in the morning, so that if your dog experiences any unexpected GI issues due to a food allergy, you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to deal with them.
Just like with the mixer method, it is recommended to gradually increase amount of raw food as you decrease the amount of kibble. For example, feed a small breakfast of raw food and a larger kibble dinner. Gradually increase raw breakfast portion and reduce kibble dinner until eventually you’re fully feeding raw only and can return to your regular feeding schedule of one or two meals per day, depending on your and your dog’s preference.
Once again, starting with one protein source is recommended.
“Can you smell what The Rock is cooking” Method
This method is the easiest for all dogs to adjust to. And even if you don’t progress past the first stage of this method (fully cooking food for your dog) it is still better than kibble. Feeding a balanced whole food diet will always be better than feeding a processed diet.
In this method, instead of feeding part kibble and part raw, we start of by switching to a fully balanced whoe food cooked diet.
At the start, the food is fully cooked and served to your dog. It’s important to remember not to feed your dog cooked bone. Cooked bone is brittle. As it breaks the sharp edges are dangerous and have the possibility of resulting in blockages, punctures and other serious issues. As you are not serving raw bone yet, and cooked bone is dangerous, the meals should be supplemented with dog suitable Bone Meal (this is different than bone meal available at home and garden stores).
As with other methods, it is best to start with meat from a single type of animal to help detect allergies and sensitivities.
If your dog responds well to the switch, after the first week or a few days, cook the food a little less. Gradually, over time, decrease how much the food is cooked until you are able to serve a raw meal.
When cooking the dog’s food, ensure not to use any oils or spices as these can cause digestive issues for dogs. Food can be steamed, boiled or baked.
Final Thoughts
As you transition from kibble to raw you will notice some changes in your dog. Their stools will be smaller and less frequent. During the transition, as your dog is getting used to their new diet or new proteins, their stools might be loose for a day or two. All this is normal.
Symptoms of diarrhea or lethargy are nowhere not normal. Diarrhea, among other things, can be sigh of allergy to certain protein. Feeding that protein should be discontinued. If this was the first protein that was introduced, it’s recommended to return to kibble before starting again with a different protein source. If diarrhea persist for more than a day, the dog should be looked at by their veterinarian.
If symptoms of lethargy is observed, the dog should be looked at by their veterinarian.
For more information regarding raw feeding, check out Raw Feeding Adult Dogs - Introductory Guide
It's important to remember that while raw dog food can be a great option for some dogs, it may not be the best diet for all dogs. Factors such as a dog's age and health should be taken into consideration when determining the best diet for a dog. It's always best to consult with your veterinarian before making any changes to your dog's diet.
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