

Never fear, there are a number of ways to incorporate your pooch’s nutritional needs into a healthy meal and keep it fun for the festivities. You can top your dog’s food with pieces of your meal (be sure to rinse all oil and herbs) or make a separate, (fat and skin free) protein-based, raw meal for your dog.
According to nationally recognized raw dog food expert, Kimberly Morris Gauthier, some of the benefits of feeding your pooch raw food includes “healthy skin and shiny coat, clean, white teeth, fresh breath, healthy digestive system, a stronger immune system, healthy body weight and muscle mass, smaller and less smelly defecation,” and a decrease in “allergies and doggy odor.”


The goal is to replicate what a dog would typically eat when consuming prey. Science indicates that the historically natural diet of dogs consisted of meat, minimal fat, bones, a bit of organs and the partially digested ingredients found in the prey’s stomach, typically vegetables and berries.

While Rocha Vargo is interested in raw dog food for Maya, it’s new to her. Morris Gauthier offers, “If pet parents aren’t able to transition their dog or cat to a full raw diet, I recommend a hybrid diet. When I introduced my dogs to raw, I started by feeding raw in the morning and kibble in the evening. In two weeks, I saw sweeping improvements in their health.” Raw doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing—treating your dog every now and then is a good start. Also, a raw meal, doesn’t have to be complicated.
Just follow a few simple guidelines. By preparing a raw meal that’s 80 percent protein, 10 percent bone, and 10 percent organs, you have a great foundation. Augment with sardines for omega fatty acids, eggs for minerals, pulsed or fermented veggies and berries for vitamins and probiotics, oysters for minerals, and other health-based items that give your dog nutrients.


To learn more about feeding your dog raw food, visit Kimberly’s blog, Keep the Tail Wagging, at keepthetailwagging.com or check out her book, A Novice’s Guide to Raw Feeding for Dogs.

Darwin’s makes fresh, healthy, grain-free raw pet food using human-grade ingredients: free-range, grass-fed beef and lamb, cage-free poultry (chicken, turkey and duck), and a variety of organic vegetables. Every meal is complete and balanced, with the necessary vitamins, nutrients, and minerals for your pooch, with no hormones, steroids, antibiotics, fillers, by-products, or artificial colors. Plus, they ship for free to anywhere in the continental U.S. within one to two days after ordering, assuring your dog's meals arrive fresh and frozen.
Simply fill out a short questionnaire that includes your pet's weight, then choose a meal plan. Custom orders are available to accommodate allergies and sensitivities. Thya (pictured here), is sensitive to chicken, so I was pleased to receive a starter kit that included individually-packaged beef, duck and lamb meals. To give you an idea of some of the ingredients, the beef recipe includes not just beef, but also beef heart, liver and kidney plus organic yams, lettuce, squash, cabbage and zucchini. Thya is not a picky eater, so she loved all three, but some dogs may have a preference. I recommend ordering a mix of proteins for variety, but also to see if your pooch has a preference. Prices vary depending on the protein, starting with chicken at $5.79/lb, up to lamb at $8.19/lb -- a bargain when you consider buying all of the ingredients individually and the time to prepare each meal. Even better, Darwin's is offering 50% off your first order!
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