The supporters of RAW feeding would likely agree that simply tossing a piece of meat into a bowl is not enough to ensure that your pet eats a healthy and balanced RAW diet. It's true that feeding RAW isn't as easy and straightforward as it might seem from listening to the stories of long-time practitioners of this diet.

Improperly portioned or unbalanced meals can not only fail to provide quality nutrition and necessary nutrients but can also lead to various health issues, just as using inappropriate ingredients can. Let's discuss the most commonly made mistakes in RAW feeding so that you can avoid them in the future.

INSUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE

Nutrition is one of the most crucial elements in pet's health, so before starting to feed your pet RAW, you need to do your homework. Analyze what ingredients besides meat should be included in your pet's bowl, choose the right type of meat, where to purchase it, and how to select suitable and reliable suppliers. Before you start changing your pet's diet, make sure you know where to buy the necessary products, how much to give, and when to feed your pet.

RUSHING INTO A NEW DIET

This is one of the most common mistakes, the consequences of which often impact the pet's health slightly. Research the best ways to transition your pet to a new diet and calculate the daily portion carefully. Don't rush to offer a variety of products; gradually introduce them into the diet. During the transition, if necessary, use natural probiotics like kefir or natural yogurt.

IMPROPERLY CHOSEN INGREDIENTS

Proper ingredient selection is one of the key aspects of starting a RAW diet. Whenever possible, choose the most natural products, preferably from organic farms. It's no secret that meats, vegetables, or other products sold in supermarkets often contain unnecessary and unnatural additives that can irritate the pet's system or even trigger adverse reactions such as vomiting, regurgitation, diarrhea, or allergies.

BONE USAGE

Bones are an integral part of a RAW diet, so using them is advisable. However, it's essential to remember that bones have the unique property of hardening stools, so their usage should be moderate. Avoid choosing thermally processed bones: boiled, fried, dried, or smoked – they not only lose their nutritional properties but also alter their molecular structure, making them sharp and potentially harmful to the pet. Also, it's crucial to choose safe bones and consider your dog's size, avoiding small recreational bones that the dog could splinter.

TOO RAPID PROTEIN SWITCHING

It's true that when feeding a RAW diet, it's important not to stick to a single meat protein and regularly rotate it. However, this doesn't mean you should offer a different type of meat every day. Switching meat types, just like any diet change, should be done gradually, introducing the dog to a new protein source step by step. Rapid changes in meat types can lead to allergic reactions and chronic digestive issues.

EXCESSIVE SUPPLEMENTATION

Novice pet owners often think that RAW feeding doesn't provide enough nutrients and start adding various supplements. Before considering supplements, carefully consider why you want to add them and then look for the most natural options. Make sure if they are really necessary or if they're already present in the products you're feeding your pet. Excessive supplementation can cause the same health issues as nutrient deficiencies.

MIXING WITH DRY FOOD

Mixing RAW with dry food for more than two weeks is not advisable, as it's not healthy for a dog's system. It's widely known that different types of food require different pH levels in the stomach for digestion: dry food needs higher/alkaline pH, while raw food needs lower/acidic pH.

This is because digesting raw food is significantly harder than repeatedly heated and thermally processed dry food. Mixing raw food with dry food for an extended period can lead to a more alkaline stomach pH, causing the meat to remain in the stomach longer, ferment, and create opportunities for harmful gas and bacteria buildup.

If mixing RAW and dry food is unavoidable, here are some recommendations on how to do it better:

• Feed dry and RAW separately, distributing one type of food in the morning and the other in the evening.

• Consider using probiotics.

• Choose dry food without high-starch ingredients (potatoes, rice, corn).

• Also, avoid dry food that contains many grain products.

WRONG CHOICE OF TREATS

If you start feeding RAW but continue to choose synthetic commercial treats, you're preventing your pet from experiencing the true benefits of a natural diet. Don't opt for treats that include grain-based ingredients; instead, choose treats made from natural meat without synthetic additives and dyes. If your pet enjoys them, you can also offer fruit or vegetable pieces as treats.