For almost all dogs, pure Tripe is the best food to start with.  Yes, it’s a bit stinky, but the natural ingredients like enzyms and omega oils are very gentle on the tummy. The probiotics (good bacteria) in both the Tripe and the Axel’s Elixir Happy Bones can help address any existing yeast imbalance in the gut, often caused by grain in many processed biscuits (kibble) and tinned food.  Symptoms of a yeast imbalance can include sore skin or ears, biting paws, itchiness etc.

70% of a dog’s immune system is in the gut, so the healthier the gut is, the better they are at fighting disease.  

If your dog is the 1 in 20 who doesn’t love Tripe to bits, let us know as we have other options available to start with, like Boneless Beef and Pure Salmon for example.

You can view our whole Supplement range here.

The 10% ground bone and 10% offal (organs such as liver, heart etc) found in 80/10/10 formula raw meals are very good for dogs in general. Bone supports your dog’s dental health, mobility and anal gland health.  The offal is very nutritious and provides essential vitamins and minerals.

However, for some dogs the introduction of bone and offal in week 1 can be too much too soon.  Therefore the first 4-5 days at least we suggest only feeding 100% pure meat.  Tripe is a favourite but we also have other 100% pure meats available like Boneless Salmon for example.

For those customers wishing to start a raw diet but continue to include ready-made fruits and vegetables because their dog is used to having them, then we suggest trying Nutriment Boneless Beef Raw 500g

Within just days of starting a raw food diet, you could expect to see your dog:

• Drink less  – there is natural moisture in the food
• Poo less – there are no filers in the food and because raw is their natural way of eating then more nutrients are absorbed, meaning less waste
• Have firmer poos and less nasty bottom smells – unless you have found a meat which your dog is intolerant to, then there shouldn’t be any smelly bums at all!
• Have silkier fur
• More balanced moods – there are no nasty additives and ther is no grain which can break down into sugars and cause hyperactivity.
• Less scratching and irritability – our standard Wild Tails Raw Dog Food Starter Pack contains NO chicken – the most common meat associated with allergies. Yes, it’s true!
• Reduced tear stains – with no grain and simpler ingredients, you can use a raw diet and a process of elimination to not only identify what your dog is allergic or intolerant to but also what could be causing the tear stains.  Staining may not completely clear until the fur is cut away but the new fur should be cleaner.
• A change in appetite – this can go 2 ways: sometimes if you find a meal which your dog will absolutely love, then they could be excited about dinner time like never before.  However, raw meals are higher in protein and keep dogs fuller for longer. Therefore, they may occasionally skip a meal, especially in spring time or when it’s hot.

After taking a little while to try out several meats that your dog gets on well with (and identify ones your dog doesn’t), we can add other ingredients to vary and enrich the diet further.  Here are some options:

Complete and Balanced Meals

Prepared with ingredients selected by vets and nutritionists to help your dog thrive.  They typically contain 80-85% meat, ground bone and offal (like liver, heart, kidney) along with vegetables, fruits, herbs, superfoods and oils.  These provide extra vitamins and minerals and have been selected to support all round health, including skin support, brain functions, joint mobility and more. 

The Complete and Balanced options at Wild Tails can be found in the Naked Dog, Nutriment and Dougie’s ranges.  They come in very easy to use trays or sleeves.  

Check out our full range of Complete raw meals in the Frozen section – the button is in the main menu.

Dried Supplements

Stir these dehydrated powders straight into your dog’s 80-10-10 (meat, bone and offal) raw food.  They give you more control compared with the pre-prepared Complete and Balanced meals.  Maybe there’s a vegetable or fruit that you need to avoid or test?  Maybe there’s a particular health condition that you would like to address with a specially formulated supplement?  Then a dried supplement maybe a better option.  Check out our Supplements range – the button is in the main menu.

Adding Your Own

Do you have any broccoli left over?  Maybe a few blueberries?  Does your dog love munching on a raw carrot?  Then add these but at Wild Tails – Raw Food Specialists we don’t recommend over doing it.  Keep fruit and veg to less than 20% of your dog’s meal to avoid missing out on important nutrients from the meat, bone and offal. Also, because dogs are not great at breaking down plant matter like humans are, you may find you’ll be picking up a lot of poo if you over-do the greens.

Please be careful not to feed your dog salt.  Certain fruits and veg can be very harmful to your dog – like grapes for example.