Introducing raw for the first time will be rich in flavor. The most reliable way to transition to a raw diet is a little at a time building up to a full portion over 5-7 days time. The most picky eaters may just surprise you! If your dog experiences tummy troubles, transition slower. Older pets may take more time. Be patient, and feed with confidence, it will be worth it.

Nothing is needed nutritionally to make our raw complete, as all of the essential nutrients have been included. A whole raw egg is a favorite topper. If you'd like to add fresh foods for variation and flavor, we recommend cooked sweet potatoes, oats or quinoa, also fresh kale, spinach, blueberries, strawberries, and seedless watermelon. Sardines, and wild fish such as salmon and herring, oysters and muscles are also fantastic toppers to add.

It is important to mention that when beginning a raw diet, their stools will change. Brown, smaller, and less frequent stools, up to 2/3 less, are to be expected. An upset tummy can occur in the first few days of switching to a raw diet. New digestive enzymes will be occurring within their system, adapting to the wholesome ingredients. And your dog will drink far less water because the moisture of the raw is so much higher compared to kibble.  

Raw meaty bones are excellent for oral health. Research which ones will be appropriate, the age and size of your pet are to be considered. Our go-to raw meaty bones are chicken quarters, pork ribs, beef ribs, and deer ribs. Smaller and inexperienced dogs may spend 20 minutes on a raw meaty bone, while experienced ones will eat raw chicken quarters in less than a minute. **Never feed smoked or cooked bones, they can splinter internally and cause bleeding.

Like any raw meat from the grocery store, raw pet food can carry bacteria, including ones that can make pets and people sick. We take that seriously. Go Raw follows a written food safety plan, we source our meats from USDA-inspected suppliers, and every batch is frozen right after it's made and stays frozen until it reaches you.

Handle it like you would raw chicken for your family:

• Keep it frozen until you're ready to use it.
• Thaw it in the refrigerator, never on the counter, and use it within 3–4 days.
• Wash your hands, your dog's bowl, and any surfaces it touched with hot, soapy water.
• Pick up any uneaten food after 15 minutes and refrigerate it until the next feeding.

Prefer it cooked? Our dual-protein recipes can be gently cooked, because we use powdered calcium carbonate instead of ground bone. Our rabbit recipe contains ground bone and should not be cooked.

The simple answer is yes. Some dog's stomachs may not tolerate this long term because of the varying digestibility of the two foods, but most are perfectly fine. Choose a quality kibble with real proteins listed as the first ingredient, use dogfoodadvisor.com to see how your kibble rates.

Kibble brands we recommend are Natures Logic, Open Farm Pet, and Farmina that are all made differently with a superior standard of ingredients. We understand that every pet parent cannot afford to feed 100% raw, and adding even some raw into your mix daily will still provide fantastic health benefits.  

Kibble was designed for convenience and long shelf life, not nutrition. Kibble is mostly made of inedible leftover meats, "meat meal," unsafe preservatives, inappropriate fillers and synthetic vitamins. Compare the benefits of switching from a fast-food diet to a whole-food one. Kibble vs raw is the same reality. The science behind raw is simple, feed real food raw, and balance the nutrients for optimal nutrition. 

"Honestly ya'll, if a dog needed his meals cooked, he would know how to make a fire. "