Raw Feeding 101

The right nutrition, and a well planned species-appropriate diet, is the basis of better health and more energy and enjoyment for life. Follow these ten rules for planning your pet's diet.

Raw feeding is easy and Raw Essentials offers ongoing support and advice. There are a few simple rules to follow to make it an enjoyable experience for your dog.

Here are a few simple rules to follow to make the transition to raw an enjoyable experience for your cat. Also check out Converting Cats.

Kittens and puppies can enjoy a raw diet, too. Due to their growth spurts, monitor their condition closely and change their intake to suit their needs.

Feeding a raw diet is a bit like feeding yourself: you eat a variety of foods, with the expectation that this will meet your nutrient needs over time.

We encourage feeding raw meaty bones to fully raw fed cats and dogs. Meaty bones provide cats and dogs with behavioural stimulation, dental benefits and appropriate nutrition - plus they love them!

Use this as guide to work out how much to feed your pet each day. These are suggested amounts only - every pet is different. Monitor their condition and adjust their intake as needed. And, talk to us if you have any questions.

If your pet has allergies or gut issues, we may recommend they start raw feeding with a novel protein plan. Read on to understand what novel proteins are and how they can help your pet.

Many cats happily transition to raw food, but some will find it hard to shake their biscuit addiction. If your cat won’t quit the biscuits, try the method below, or talk to one of our staff for support.

We’re often asked if you can continue with a raw diet throughout the various stages of breeding (mating, pregnancy, lactating & weaning). If the diet is well-planned and species-appropriate, the answer is YES!

If you can't access Raw Essentials product for any reason, here are some tips for successful raw feeding.

Many people think they need to include vegetables in their pets raw diet but, we are fortunate in New Zealand that we can readily access high quality green tripe for our pets.

Generally, we recommend against feeding table scraps. It keeps the diet simple and easy to control if a well planned, raw, species-appropriate diet is followed.

Raw eggs are nutrient-dense and a great way to add further variety to your pet's raw diet.

Raw fish is an excellent source of nutrients, including essential fatty acids.

Wondering if it's necessary to add supplements to your pet's raw food diet?