We often get asked, what is a species appropriate diet, this blog explains the ins & outs of feeding exactly that
A species appropriate diet, also known as a raw diet, is when your dog is fed a diet made up of:
Meat
Bone
Organ
Suppliers (also known as retailers) sell these as 80:10:10 or complete raw food or a mixture of these, as well as usually some boneless offering which are useful to have in for when the need arises such as due to too much bone in the diet causing white or crumbly stools - or constipation.
Below is our current UK Raw Pet food suppliers map which can be accessed using the link above, not including the high street pet shops and supermarkets that stock some limited raw pet food choices.
What is the difference between 80:10:10 and Completes?
80:10:10 is when there is 80% made up of meat, 10% made up of offal (5% is liver and the other 5% is usually another secreting organ like kidney of spleen) plus 10% made up of bone content.
A true complete is meat, bone and offal PLUS fruits, veg, seeds & Herbs. A few completes also add oily fish, and 1 even includes egg.
NOTE: Some manufacturers of raw food label their 80:10:10 as being complete however this is well proven to not be enough of a diet to be classed as complete.
Do I need to add anything to an 80:10:10?
Yes!
We recommend adding raw eggs 2-3 times a week, as well as using our fish calculator to determine the level of oily fish you add to the diet. Eggs and oily fish are usually added on top of the food allowance, 2-3 times a week, however if your dog is carrying excess weight then the oily fish can be included as a part of the daily allowance if all other cut backs have been implemented and you are still struggling to get the weight off your dog.
Some dogs can tolerate also adding up to 10% of the diet as none starch based vegetables and fruit however, not all dogs can so they have less, or have supplements added instead to gain these nutrients.
Can I just feed Complete raw food?
We recommend not doing this as there is still to this day no study showing the exact vitamin & minerals needed in dog food, and the nutrient levels will vary depending on the food source (I.e. how it was raised, what the soil quality was like that it ate from, etc)
Another issue with feeding only Complete raw food is the sheer lack of variety that is available in the Completes market, especially if you need to avoid root vegetables entirely due to yeast issues.
We therefore recommend feeding Complete raw food no more than twice a week, and then adding your own fruits, vegetables, seeds & Herbs OR supplementing when not feeding Complete raw food.
What are the benefits to a species appropriate diet?
Shinier coat
Reduced itching, licking & scratching
Stronger immune system
Improved oral hygiene
Noticeable difference in behaviour
Reduced allergy / intolerance symptoms
Reduced upset stomach
Improved digestion
Reduction in stool size, smell & frequency
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