Healing the Gut: A Step-by-Step Raw Feeding Approach

Gut Healing Protocol: Supporting Your Pet’s Digestive Health

Your pet’s digestive health is foundational to overall wellbeing. The gut influences nutrient absorption, immune function, and even behaviour — and when it’s out of balance, pets can show symptoms ranging from loose stools and gas to immune‑mediated conditions and mood changes. A structured approach to gut healing through raw feeding can help support digestive resilience and long‑term health.

Why Gut Health Matters

The gastrointestinal system is more than a food processor — it’s a complex ecosystem that plays a central role in immunity and health. In dogs and cats, the gut hosts a diverse community of microbes that help break down nutrients, interact with the immune system, and produce key metabolic compounds. Diet is one of the most powerful modulators of this microbial ecosystem. Changes in diet can rapidly shift microbial community composition and activity, influencing gut health and host physiology. (Yang et al., 2025 MDPI)

Two common challenges in digestive health include:

• Dysbiosis: An imbalance of gut microbes that can reduce resilience and impair digestion.

• Intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”): Where a compromised intestinal lining allows particles to cross into circulation, potentially triggering inflammation.

Scientific reviews affirm that dietary composition — including protein, carbohydrates, and other nutrients — strongly influences how gut microbes metabolise food, produce metabolites, and interact with the immune system. (van Dongen et al., 2021; Yang et al., 2025 ScienceDirect+1)

Getting Started with the Gut Healing Protocol

The Gut Healing Protocol (GHP) is a gradual, monitored approach tailored for each pet. Every pet is assigned a Raw Essentials case manager who provides guidance, monitors progress, and adjusts feeding plans based on age, weight, appetite, and stool quality.

Important: Always consult your veterinarian before beginning any dietary transition. Raw Essentials can communicate directly with your vet if required. Weekly check-ins with your case manager are recommended to ensure steady progress and address any concerns promptly.

Step-by-Step Gut Healing

Step 1: Poached Meat and Broth

• Simmer bite-sized meat cubes or fillets in water or broth for 5–10 minutes.

• Use just enough liquid to cover the meat; trim visible fat and never cook meat containing bone.

• Cool before feeding and offer 2–3 meals per day.

• Tip: Use scissors to cut meat. Broth is highly digestible and nutrient-rich, making it gentle on sensitive guts.

Step 2: Transition to Raw Meat

• Gradually replace poached meat with raw meat, or lightly poach non-poultry meats as an intermediate step.

• Puppies and kittens may transition faster than adults.

• Goal: fully raw meals by the end of week two.

Step 3: Introduce Meat & Bone Mince

• Begin feeding a mix of 50% boneless meat + 50% raw boney mince (dogs) or 1/3 boneless + 2/3 mince (cats).

• Monitor stools; if digestive issues appear, step back to poached meat temporarily.

Step 4: Introduce Tripe (Dogs)

• Add ¼–⅓ of meals as tripe to support digestion and stool quality.

• Adjust amounts if stools are too hard or too loose.

• Cats typically need less tripe but can try minced or freeze-dried treats once settled on raw food.

Step 5: Increase Prey Variety

• Introduce one new prey source at a time.

• Aim for 3–4 different prey sources per week, including nutrient-dense wild species.

• Variety supports a healthy gut microbiome.

Step 6: Introduce Meaty Bones

• Introduce whole raw meaty bones after at least one month on a stable raw diet.

• Only feed if your pet is settled and comfortable with raw food.

• Follow safe bone-feeding guidelines to prevent choking or digestive upset.

Supporting Gut Balance with Functional Nutrition

Modern veterinary nutrition research emphasises the role of the gut microbiome in health and disease, including immune and metabolic regulation. Dietary modulation — through prebiotics, probiotics, and bioavailable proteins — can influence microbiota composition, fermentation profiles, and mucosal integrity. Probiotics in particular (e.g., Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species) have been shown to help maintain barrier function and reduce inflammation in the gut. (Wall, 2024; Yang et al., 2025 PetfoodIndustry+1)

Increasing diversity in gut microbes is widely considered a hallmark of resilience. Some studies have shown that dogs fed raw meat diets exhibit increased microbial diversity compared with dogs fed processed dry diets, indicating a diet‑driven shift toward microbial profiles potentially more aligned with natural carnivore physiology. (van Dongen et al., 2021 ScienceDirect)

Key Considerations During Gut Healing

Conclusion

Healing and maintaining a healthy gut is a multifaceted process that integrates diet composition, digestive tolerance, and microbial support. Raw diets — particularly those rich in high‑quality proteins and minimal processing — influence the gut microbiota in ways that many animal nutrition scientists view as closer to the natural physiology of dogs and cats. By approaching dietary transitions gradually and with attention to individual responses, you can support your pet’s digestive resilience, immune competence, and overall wellbeing.

References

Middelbos, I. S., Vester Boler, B. M., Qu, A., White, B. A., & Swanson, K. S. (2010). Phylogenetic characterization of fecal microbial communities of dogs fed raw meat‑based diets versus commercial diets. Journal of Animal Science, 88(6), 2143–2151. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2009‑2431

Sandri, M., Dal Monego, S., Conte, G., Sgorlon, S., & Cozzolino, A. (2017). Raw meat‑based diet influences faecal microbiome and end products of fermentation in healthy dogs. BMC Veterinary Research, 13, 65.

van Dongen, A., Suchodolski, J. S., & Simpson, J. W. (2021). The gut microbiome of dogs and cats, and the influence of diet. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 51(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2021.01.002

Wall, T. (2024, October 11). Probiotics and nutraceuticals affect dog, cat microbiomes. Petfood Industry. https://www.petfoodindustry.com/nutrition/research‑notes/article/15705691/probiotics‑and‑nutraceuticals‑affect‑dog‑cat‑microbiomes

Yang, B., Zhong, S., Wang, J., & Yu, W. (2025). Dietary modulation of the gut microbiota in dogs and cats and its role in disease management. Microorganisms, 13(12), 2669.