Is it okay to feed a puppy a raw diet?
When →feeding a raw diet, raw ingredients like fresh meat, vegetables, fruit, healthy herbs, and oils are fed to your dog. This requires precise dosing of the ingredients as well as the addition of minerals to ensure your four-legged friend is optimally supplied with all essential nutrients. Often, dog owners only become aware of the BARF concept later, when the dog is a bit older. But when it comes to the question of whether you can feed your puppy a raw diet, opinions differ widely.
Our recommendation at Pets Deli: If your puppy is already familiar with raw feeding from its →breeder, you can continue feeding raw from the very first day with you. In this case, your puppy's body is already used to raw feeding right after weaning from mother's milk, and the digestive system has already adapted to this type of feeding. However, if your puppy has previously only received dry or wet food, we recommend switching to a raw diet only from the 6th month of life to avoid overwhelming the digestive system.
Some breeders give puppies a little raw meat in addition to puppy porridge to gradually introduce them to BARF.
Right after birth...
... raw feeding is not yet an issue for puppies, because in →the first 3-4 weeks of life the little ones receive only mother's milk.
From the 5th week onward, the time comes when puppies start to show more interest in their environment and especially want to see what's in mom's bowl. As their interest in the mother's food grows and her willingness to nurse decreases, breeders begin with the first solid meals for the puppies. However, these are not true BARF meals, but rather an almost liquid, meat-free porridge.
If breeders want to get the puppies used to raw feeding right away, they can already start feeding some lean meat. Minced beef or →turkey meat are especially suitable. Once the puppy's milk teeth are fully developed, breeders can also start offering easily chewable, meaty bones to eat such as chicken necks.
When can I start feeding my puppy a raw diet?
If your puppy moves in with you and has already been fed a raw diet at the breeder's, you can continue this feeding method right away. In this case, your puppy is already used to raw, solid food and its digestive system is adapted to it. Many breeders who feed their dogs a raw diet are happy to advise future owners and help them get started with raw feeding.
If your puppy has previously been fed →dry food or →wet food only, we recommend that you wait until the 6th month of life before switching to a raw diet. The puppy’s digestive tract is still very sensitive at this stage and can be quickly overwhelmed by switching to raw feeding too soon. If you still want to switch to a raw diet right away, be sure to seek advice from trained nutritionists or BARF consultants.
Some breeders feed their puppies a BARF diet right from the start. If you want to switch to BARF later, we recommend waiting until the 6th month of life.
How to feed your puppy a raw diet properly
If you want to start feeding your puppy a raw diet, it's best to have a qualified BARF consultant create an individual feeding plan for your four-legged friend. Unlike a complete food, when feeding raw you put together all the food components yourself and are responsible for ensuring your puppy receives all the necessary nutrients in the right amounts.
The following things should be considered when feeding puppies a raw diet:
Puppies need a larger →amount of food than adult dogs and should receive about 4-8% of their own body weight in fresh meat per day. You should initially →divide the total ration into 4 meals, later your puppy will only get 3 or 2 meals per day.
Because of their milk teeth, puppies usually can't chew large pieces of meat yet. That's why you should first start with minced meat.
Puppies have a higher calcium requirement because their bones are still growing. This can be met either with a mineral supplement or by feeding udder meat, cartilage, and bones. Again, due to their milk teeth, puppies find it difficult to chew cartilage and bones, so you should initially use (minced) chicken, turkey, and duck necks.
The addition of high-quality minerals is extremely important for puppies, as it supports the development of the skeleton, tendons, ligaments, and joints during the growth phase.
In addition to raw meat, the right amount of fish is important when feeding a raw diet. If your dog doesn't like to eat raw fish, you can also use high-quality fish oil. Our →salmon oil is rich in valuable omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and enhances your furry friend's food.
The right amount of fruit and vegetables is also important when feeding a raw diet. They provide your puppy with essential vitamins, fiber, and trace elements.
As you can see, there is a lot to consider when feeding a raw diet. Simply grabbing a spoon and mixing together random ingredients for your dog as you please can lead to malnutrition. To get started, feeding ready-made BARF menus can also be helpful. These already contain all the important components for your puppy.
Would you like to switch your adult dog to a raw diet but find all the calculations and weighing too complicated? Then try our →BARF Fresh Menus for Dogs! Enhanced with our mineral mix and a high-quality oil, we make raw feeding easier for you and give your dog the ultimate nutrient freshness in their bowl!
You'll love to try BARF!
Can I feed my puppy the same food as my other dog(s)?
No matter whether you want to feed your puppy a raw diet or give them wet or dry food – young dogs need →special junior food, because they have special needs. Since they are still growing and their bones, organs, joints, and muscles are still developing, they require more protein and minerals than adult dogs.
If you already have a dog at home and want to feed both the same food, you'll need to wait until your puppy is 12 months old. From one year of age, your little four-legged friend can then be switched to adult dog food and enjoy mealtime together with your first dog!
Puppies have special needs up to their 12th month of life and therefore require a special junior food. Later, you can give your dog the same food.
Switching from a raw diet to wet or dry food – is that possible?
But what if the opposite happens and your puppy was fed a raw diet by the breeder, but you prefer to feed a complete food instead? Of course, that's absolutely fine and even with a high-quality wet or dry food you can raise your puppy →healthily and appropriately. Ideally, talk to the breeder in advance and discuss together how to →make the transition to the new puppy food as gentle as possible. The breeder might be able to start mixing the junior food you’ve chosen into the BARF a few days before the puppy moves in. Or you can continue feeding your puppy a raw diet for a few days and gradually switch to the new food.
With our Pets Deli Junior Food your little furry friend is provided with everything they need for an adventurous day. A special puppy food is recommended until 12 months of age, with lots of meat, healthy fruit and vegetables, nutritious oils, and fresh herbs, tailored to the needs of a puppy and for healthy growth.
