Top Grade Premium Nutrition For Puppies

Feeding your puppy on raw –
The Pawsome practical guideline

Slow growth is best for a puppy, contrary to popular belief. On average, people tend to want their puppies to grow fast into the biggest and healthiest puppy around; but this is the opposite of what you should do. Bone disorders begin in puppy hood and providing a balanced raw diet allows the puppy to grow slowly which ultimately avoids bone and joint issues.

Balance the calcium and phosphorus

This is easy to do with our balanced readymade minces with adding a meaty bone meal 3 times a week you will cover pretty much all your puppy’s diet requirements. Always do remember, there is no magic formula and every puppy is a bit different, that is why we are here to monitor your puppy’s growth. That is also why we strongly recommend you stay with our feeding plan and recommendations. We know what we put into our food and we know that it is balanced.

Despite what the kibble manufacturers and some vets may say, it’s pretty easy to balance calcium and phosphorus and there is a wider margin of error when feeding raw. Calcium that comes in a synthetic powder is nearly impossible for a puppy to excrete, so excesses of calcium are more of a concern with synthetic products than with the naturally occurring calcium found in bones.

Feeding raw meaty bones

RMB’s is an absolute must in your puppy’s diet and you need to make sure you give him a variety. Always feed bones safely and under supervision. Bones improve dental health, digestion and provide minerals.
Chewing on the right kind of raw bones is the equivalent of a good dental cleaning, it removes plaque build-up and prevents gum disease!
Raw bones provide a highly digestible source of calcium, phosphorus and other needed minerals. Feeding bones makes the stomach muscle layers stronger, which prevents bloat. Bones also have a cleansing effect as they provide roughage in the diet and bulk for healthy bowel movements.
Which bones are safe to feed? Personally, my favourites are Turkey necks, Duck necks, Ostrich tails and Ostrich kneecaps, for puppies. Teach your puppy to eat a bone by holding on to a duck or chicken neck to prevent them from swallowing it whole. Chewing on a bone will help develop your puppy’s jaws, develop strong neck muscles and at the same time will give it lots of chewing time and make teething easier. Initially feed your puppy only minced meals for a few weeks to settle its gut pH and then introduce bone meals. If your puppy has been weaned on Pawsome Raw it should be ready to start its first chew session.

Feed three times a day

Your puppy should eat three small meals a day until he is about six months of age – then he can eat twice a day. This is especially important for small breed puppies as they can become hypoglycaemic if meals are spread out too long.

How much to feed?

This is easier to determine if you have a purebred dog, but the amount you feed should be 2-3% of your puppy’s anticipated adult weight. If you’re not sure what that will be, then feed about 8-10% of his current weight. Watch to see if he gets too fat or too thin and adjust accordingly. We are happy to
help you through out the puppy’s growth to make sure you are feeding the correct amounts and that your puppy’s growth is on track.

To supplement or not?

Even if you’re feeding free range, organic meats, like Pawsome Raw, the earth is not what it used to be, so your puppy will benefit from some supplementation.

Supplements to consider include:

• Fish or krill oil (a source of Omega-3 fats which are a good idea) and add some Pawsome Raw salmon to your puppy’s diet
• Coconut oil (antibacterial and antifungal)
• Nutritional herbs (alfalfa, dandelion leaf, nettle and more) are already added to your balanced meals from Pawsome Raw
• Probiotics like raw goat’s milk kefir is a great source
• Bovine colostrum (helps to build a strong immune system)

Other important stuff

Make sure your puppy has plenty of fresh, non-chlorinated water. He should also have plenty of fresh air and exercise. Exercise for young puppies should not be forced walks – his growing joints will suffer less stress if you take him outside for short play or training sessions instead. Keep the walks short – about five minutes per month of age until he is about six months of age.

For more information on top grade,
premium quality nutrition for pets:
E-mail: retha@pawsomeraw.com
Tel: 087 500 9035
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