VEGETABLES should form about 30% of the overall diet. Use any vegetable (with the exception of onions and white potatoes) such as dark green leafy, beet, broccoli, spinach, celery, cabbage family, capsicum, and/or fruits such as tomato, apple, oranges, pears, mangoes and banana. The wider the variety the better, as each contributes to a full spectrum of nutrients. Besides vitamins and 'health protective' nutrients, the indigestible fiber in vegetables also helps to mimic hide and hair that would be consumed in an evolutionary diet. Fruits should be fed when over-ripened where they provide non-complex carbohydrates or simple sugars as opposed to the slow releasing energy from the complex carbohydrates. The bulk of the vegies used should consist of 'low glycemic,' green leafy vegetables and ripe fruit. 'Low glycemics' are foods, which do not cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels. Vegetables must be processed before they become nutritionally beneficial to your dog. This does not involve cooking, but does require a food processor, blender or grinder that will be able to totally crush the vegetable and fruit matter. Once prepared it can be fed as a 'soup', 'patty' or 'cake', depending on the amount of juice and pulp content of the mix. Never hesitate to occasionally feed left over cooked vegtables.
HEALTHY OILS The raw diet requires that health promoting oils be included as a source of omega3 and omega6 essential fatty acids. These oils are vital for your dog's health. Flax oil/ground flax seed or salmon oil can be fed almost every day. You can also use need cod liver oil several times per week and you may also wish to include evening primrose or borage oil once a week or so. Amounts of these healthy oils will vary with an individual's requirements. When feeding these oils, appropriate antioxidants must also be used - such as vitamin E. These healthy oils must be kept refrigerated or frozen in order to maintain their integrity. Ordinary vegetable oils from the supermarket are not recommended.
YOGURT & EGGS The dog, in an evolutionary sense, does not require dairy foods; however, high quality yogurt or kefir contains essential bacteria for bowel health and for general health. You will need to find a sugarless brand from the health store or make your own. Eggs are a cheap source of top quality protein, vitamin A, minerals - and if free range they also contain good amounts of fatty acids. The entire egg - shell and all is fed. Egg yolks are excellent 'skin food'.
AN OPTIONAL REQUIREMENT - GRAIN? The short and simple answer is that grains did NOT figure as part of our dogs [or cats] evolutionary diet. On that basis, grain is not biologically appropriate for our pets. The only way grains may be used in the diet is when they are freshly sprouted and then processed along with the other vegetable matter.
VITAMINS Are vitamins essential? No...but to move your dog into the optimal health category ... Yes! These may include vitamin E and along with some kelp and alfalfa. Kelp and alfalfa are excellent 'supplemental foods' that supply a vast array of quality vitamins and minerals, some excellent products are available such as Solid Gold Sea Meal. With the exception of vitamin E, these vitamins can be frozen.
HOW MUCH TO FEED? The amounts required will depend on the age, activity level and metabolism of your dog. The average dog can be fed approximately 60% raw meaty bones patties of the widest variety of sources possible. The other 40% of the diet would consist of pure meat meals, fish, fruit/vegetables, eggs, offal, plus supplements and a very small percentage of table scraps - because we have a hard time saying "no".