Rotation Feeding Raw Food with Raw Paws

Mr. N has insisted on eating raw for several years now but I'm always interested in finding new proteins and new things for him to try.

Raw Paws, a dog food company based in Indiana, offers a customized meal planning service so we tried it out to see what they would recommend for Mr. N. I was asked about what Mr. N was currently eating, our experience with raw and how much he weighed. Jamie gave me a list of recommendations for meals, raw meaty bones and treats/chews appropriate for Mr. N's size. 

Meals:

Complete Beef (5 lb chub)

Complete Turkey(5 lb chub)

Complete Duck (5 lb chub)

Complete Goat (comes in a 4 lb tub with a lid)

Complete Lamb (comes in a 4 lb tub with a lid)

Complete Beef Patties

Tripe Patties  

Freeze dried tripe treat (can be used as a meal or treat)

Freeze dried tripe topper (sprinkled over food)

Raw meaty bones:

Turkey Necks

Goat Meaty Bones

Goat Ribs

Beef Meaty Bones 

Treats/Chews:

6” Bully Sticks

Bully Stick rings 

Beef Liver Nuggets

It's hard sometimes finding the right size bones for Mr. N to chew (although he thinks there is no bone too big) so Jamie's guidance was helpful in determining what would be the best fit. I think this would be especially helpful for people who are just starting to feed raw. I know I was super confused at first.

We practice rotation feeding which basically means that we switch protein types on a regular basis. Different raw feeders approach it differently (balance achieved daily, weekly, monthly etc). I just switch proteins every bag which for Mr. N is every couple of weeks. He gets a wide variety of treats and chews though so I'm not too worried that he's missing out on anything vital by not switching more often. 

Why is rotation feeding important? It gives dogs a more balanced diet as each food has different nutrients and ingredients. It also creates more excitement around meal time especially if your dog is like Mr. N and gets bored with the same things. It can also reduce risks of food intolerance. Also it's helpful if a food is recalled so you have something you can switch to without worrying about if your dog is going to like it or not tolerate the food. 

Raw Paws sent us the raw duck food and duck jerky to try as Mr. N doesn't get duck very often. Duck is a little hard for me to source regularly. He gets a lot of beef, turkey, pork and some venison and rabbit among other things normally. 

The duck jerky was an instant hit and we used it up pretty rapidly for recall exercises and tricks training. It's on the harder side texture-wise but it's pretty easy to break up into small pieces (a little hard to break into tiny pieces) and Mr. N thought it was worth a speedy recall.

The duck food is a little messy to portion out especially as Mr. N eats pretty tiny portions (about 3oz). I thaw the chub, divide it into smaller chunks (two day's worth of food), separate them with wax paper and re-freeze. Usually we buy food that comes in nuggets or smaller portions. The chubs are more economical though especially for larger dogs.

It took a few days for Mr. N to get accustomed to the new food but now he eats it with gusto. He doesn't need any toppers in order to induce him to eat but I made up a special plate with a tiny bit of yogurt and cheese as a special treat. 

Do you practice rotation feeding with your dog(s)?

This post was sponsored by Raw Paws. They are not responsible for the contents of this article. All opinions expressed are our own.