Q: If my dog is used to dry food, how can I switch him to a combination of dry and raw food, while still keeping his weight under control?
A: Unfortunately, it is very difficult to regulate caloric and nutrient intake when feeding raw food alone, or even a combination of raw food and commercial pellets, which can easily lead to over- or underfeeding.
Most people choose to feed raw diets over commercial pellets due to its potential to result in a healthier skin and coat, higher energy levels and even cleaner teeth.
Unfortunately, the bacteria in raw food also pose a serious health risk to both animals and humans and, as mentioned above, it becomes extremely difficult to balance your dog’s diet and control his nutrient intake.
If you want to add something extra to your dog’s dry pellets, I suggest combining them with wet, tinned food.
Most vet-recommended diets have charts on the back of their dog food bags to provide you with a guideline as to how much to feed when using their brand of pellets, either alone or in combination with the same brand of tinned food.
If this is not the case, you can ask your veterinarian to help you calculate how much your dog needs of each.
Dr Johan Jordaan, veterinarian
