Modified For Raw

One way to introduced a simple and balanced way of feeding Raw to your dog is to create a hybrid version of the vegetable medley from our gently cooked recipe and purchase the 80/10/10 grinds. Simply put you’d add the raw grind to the veg medley at feeding time with any appropriate supplements.

Using Raw Protein with Gently Cooked Meals

One of the beautiful benefits of gently cooked food is that it's flexible—and can still honor many of the principles of raw feeding.

A common strategy we use in fresh feeding is adding raw protein at the time of feeding. When you do this, it opens the door to using fattier cuts of meat, like ground beef labeled 80/20 (80% lean, 20% fat), without needing to render or cook the fat. That’s important—because once fat is cooked, it becomes more oxidized and less nutritionally beneficial.

Why This Matters:

• Raw fat is energy-dense and bioavailable when served fresh and unrendered.

• Rendered fats (fats that have been cooked at high heat) lose some of their health benefits and can even become inflammatory if overheated.

• When you feed raw protein with its natural fat, you often don’t need to add additional oils to meet energy requirements.

• However, most meats—especially conventionally raised—are still low in omega-3 fatty acids, so you may still want to supplement omega-3s from fish oil, mussel oil, sardines, or anchovies, especially if you’re supporting inflammation or skin issues.

This approach is particularly helpful when:

• You’re working with picky eaters who enjoy the taste and texture of raw.

• You want to minimize cooking steps

• You want to change proteins more often than per batch.

• You’re customizing a diet for an underweight dog who needs more caloric density.

⚠️ Note: If you’re feeding cooked starches or veggies as the base, and adding raw meat at meal time, always handle the raw ingredients safely and store them properly.

🥩 Adapting to BARF Model with 80/10/10 Grind

🦴 What Is 80/10/10?

This is a Prey Model Raw ratio often used in BARF and raw feeding. It typically includes:

• 80% muscle meat

• 10% bone

• 10% organ (usually split: ~5% liver, ~5% other secreting organ like kidney, spleen, pancreas)

This blend provides a great foundation foundation

🔄 Key Changes When Using 80/10/10 for BARF

✅ What You Remove or Adjust

• REMOVE calcium supplement
  → Raw bone provides natural calcium/phosphorus in balanced ratios.

• ADJUST fat
  → Most 80/10/10 blends have enough fat, especially if not from super lean cuts.
  → If using consistently using lean meats like turkey or skinless chicken or skinless fish, you may still need to add some fat (e.g., duck fat, coconut oil, ghee).

• REDUCE or OMIT kelp if rotating oily fish weekly
  → Sardines or whole fish toppers provide iodine. If not using fish weekly, keep kelp (~300 mcg iodine/week for a 50# dog is standard).

🧂 What You Keep in the Recipe

• Vegetables (optional in Prey Model but included in BARF)
  → BARF incorporates 5–25% plant matter for fiber, phytonutrients, and detox support. Keep ~10–15% by volume of veggies (the same veg medley as in the cooked recipe works well).

• Sea salt (Redmond’s or Himalayan)
  → Provides trace minerals, especially when bone/meat source isn’t pasture-raised.

• Dried turmeric – anti-inflammatory

• Dried mustard – supports cruciferous veg detox pathways

• Raw garlic – immune and gut support

• Eggs/sardines toppers – maintain as part of rotation

• Optional: Apple cider vinegar, digestive enzymes, or fermented foods (kefir, sauerkraut, fermented veg powders)

💊 Optional/Beneficial Additions for BARF

To balance and optimize long-term:

• Omega-3s
  → Add whole sardines or a raw fish oil (avoid oxidation-prone oils). Rotate 2–3x/week. Helps balance high Omega-6 in poultry.

• Vitamin E
  → If feeding fish oils or fatty meats regularly. Supportive for heart and skin.

• Zinc
  → Red meats are richer in zinc. If poultry-heavy, consider zinc from whole food sources (oysters, mussels, or a small supplement).

• Probiotics or fermented veggies
  → Helps with microbiome support and digestion

• Manganese
  → Found in green tripe, mussels, or plant sources like kale. Deficiency is possible in plain 80/10/10.

🧊 Raw BARF Feeding Template for 50# Dog (Weekly)

• 80/10/10 raw grind = ~7 lbs/week (based on 2% body weight)

• Optional: 1–1.5 cups lightly steamed and chopped/pureed vegetables (blend into daily meals or alternate days)

• Fats: Add only if needed based on lean content

• Supplements:

  • Kelp (1/4 scoop daily or per iodine target)

  • Sea salt (1 tsp/week split over meals)

  • Turmeric (1 tsp/week)

  • Mustard seed powder (1 tsp/week)

  • Raw garlic (1 clove/week or ⅛ clove daily)

  • Sardines 1–2x/week

  • Eggs 1–2x/week

✅ Final Feeding Notes

• No calcium supplement needed with bone-in grinds

• Raw organs must make up at least 10%, including liver

• Rotate proteins and organ types to avoid imbalance

• Monitor stool consistency to gauge bone content (too hard = too much bone)

Statements in this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Educational content only. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease