While there are a few different ways and formulas of feeding raw dog food, most raw feeders agree that raw dog food consists of 70-80% muscle meat (70% muscle meat if 10% fruit/veggies are added, otherwise 80% muscle meat), 10 % secreting organs, and 10% raw meaty bones (RMBs).

I personally find myself somewhere between the prey feeding and the B.A.R.F.ing approach when making my own dogs’ raw meals. 

Without going into too much detail, the main difference between the two is the addition of up to 15% of vegetables and fruit in the B.A.R.F. diet, while a prey diet consists of 80% muscle meat, 10% raw meaty bones, 5% liver, and 5% other organs.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this blog post are Amazon associate links. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and buy certain items, I will receive a small commission to keep this blog going. The price is not affected by this and remains the same for you.

1. Muscle Meat

Muscle meat makes up the vast majority of raw dog food and ranges between 70-80%. Raw feeders who add fruits and veggies to their dogs’ raw meals feed around 70% of muscle meat and 10% of fruit/veggies, the others feed 80% muscle meat.

Which cuts are considered muscle meat?

The following cuts are considered muscle meat and make up the vast majority of raw dog food:

Muscle meat I feed:

Beef, Pork, Goat, Chicken, Duck, Rabbit & Turkey Hearts
Beef Backstrap
Beef Lung
Beef Gullet
Beef Trachea
Beef Cheek
Beef Oxlips
Beef Tongue
Pork Jowl
Pork Uterus
Chicken & Turkey Gizzards
(Beef & Bison) Green Tripe
Camel trim

Where do I buy my muscle meat?

When I put my own raw meals together and am in need of individual components of the raw diet, I purchase mainly from Raw Feeding Miami, but I’m also able to find some muscle meat at my local grocery store in the form of:

• Chicken gizzards & hearts
• Chicken breasts & thighs
• Pork chops
• Organic ground lamb from Australia
• Organic ground beef
• Beef tongue
• Raw salmon & canned sardines (more about fish in the section What about fish?)

I’ve found & purchased green tripe from Darwin’s Natural Pet, Raw Feeding Miami, Raw Paws Pet Food, and a TEFCO distributor here in NC. TEFCO has the best deal on (beef) green tripe; I can get 40 lbs of tripe for $90. 

Our raw feeding shipment from @rawfeedingmiami arrived! Yummo! ??

A post shared by K9s Over Coffee (@k9sovercoffee) on Jun 30, 2017 at 1:43pm PDT

How do I prepare the muscle meat?

I use a variety of knives and a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the muscle meat from Raw Feeding Miami into smaller chunks. Their product typically comes in 2.5 and 5 lb bags, so some meal prep is required, meaning I have to set away some time to first thaw the frozen product and then portion it out into food storage containers. 

Some raw feeders use commercial meat grinders because they have gulpers or their dogs/cats simply prefer the texture of ground meat. The Weston Butcher series #32 is a powerful meat grinder that can even grind raw meaty bones. My pups have healthy teeth and gums and actually chew what’s in their bowls rather than just swallowing parts whole, so I personally don’t use a grinder. But it’s definitely one way of preparing raw meals.

A few of Raw Feeding Miami’s product already comes in ground form, which is perfect for the reasons just mentioned, and is included in their bulk packs every now and then.

What about fish?

Raw fish is a great alternative instead of bottled fish oil and should be fed as 10% of the 80% muscle meat. I switch back and forth between supplementing with Bonnie & Clyde’s Fish Oil, canned sardines in water bought at the grocery store, raw fish purchased from Raw Feeding Miami (I buy thread herring and Green Lipped Mussels from them), and air-dried fish from our monthly single-ingredient treat supplier Real Dog (smelt, anchovy, pollock, salmon skins and chunks).

I only feed wild-caught fish (oil) in order to get the most nutritional bang for my buck, so to speak. Farmed fish is fed antibiotics and growth hormones and I prefer to not put those on the pups’ meals (nor on my dinner plate).

Are you looking for raw dog food recipes?

Introducing “20 Raw Meals for Dogs“, the raw dog food ebook for dog parents who want their pups to thrive and be the healthiest version of themselves!

Use discount code Blog for $3 off.

2. Organs

Organs are a small, yet crucial part of feeding dogs a balanced raw food diet. Although they only make up a small portion of raw dog food, they’re a powerful component that can’t be overlooked. That’s because they’re nutrient dense parts of an animal’s body that other cuts of meat lack.

Which organs count as organs in raw feeding?

Did you know that in the raw feeding world, only secreting organs count as organ meat? Secreting organs are those that secrete a substance that is excreted by the body. This can be a little confusing when first making the switch from kibble to raw..trust me.. been there, done that…because at first, I had no idea that organs in raw feeding didn’t equal “regular” organs.

I remember my light bulb moment when I first realized that heart actually counts as muscle meat, and not organ, although it is, of course, a very hard working, muscular organ! But since it’s not a secreting one it counts as muscle meat, which makes up 80% of the raw feeding equation (as opposed to organs which only make up 10%).

That being said, the following body parts are to be fed as organs when feeding a raw diet:

As mentioned above, organs make up 10% of a balanced raw meal, 5% of which has to be liver. Don’t worry though, not every single meal has to be 100% balanced. Just make sure you achieve balance over the course of 7-10 days.

So don’t stress out if you forget to add a piece of liver to a meal every now & then – but don’t make it a habit. Dogs do need the essential minerals and vitamins liver contains in order to thrive and not just survive.

Liver is rich in iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, iodine, the fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin A, all of the B vitamins (including B12 & folic acid), some vitamin D, vitamin E, & vitamin K.

Organs I feed:

I typically switch beef liver, chicken liver, and rabbit liver. Rabbit liver ($8/1 lb) is more expensive than chicken ($5/2.5 lbs) and beef liver ($4.25/2.5 lbs).

Besides liver I feed kidneys, pancreas and Raw Feeding Miami’s custom organ mix, Monstermash. It consists of ground liver, kidney, green tripe, and two other organs the company switches between. Monstermash is the perfect organ mix for meal prep purposes when you’re just starting to meal prep. The only time I wouldn’t feed it is if you know or suspect that your dog doesn’t do well with beef.

I feed brain in the form of rabbit heads from Raw Feeding Miami, which count towards both bone and organ.

What about green tripe?

Green tripe is generally considered a muscle meat and should be fed as such, but it also falls in the offal (= internal secreting organ) category because it’s chock full of digestive enzymes, gastric juices, and amino acids.

Where do I buy my organs?

As mentioned above, I purchase organs from Raw Feeding Miami and particularly like their Monstermash organ grind because it’s so convenient. Doesn’t require any cutting up of organs and it’s already the perfect mix of 5% liver and 5% other organ.

I’ve also purchased liver from Raw Paws Pet Food – their price point is typically higher than Raw Feeding Miami’s, but in December of 2015, they had a  p h e n o m e n a l deal on beef liver strips (20 lbs for $44), so I stocked up on it, and it’s lasted me about a year and a half.

I’m also able to find chicken liver as well as calf liver at my local grocery store!

Lucky me also finally found out about a local, organic farm not far from me who sell their produce and meats at a Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. Their selection includes chicken liver (as well as hearts and feet).

Let me throw in a word of caution though – don’t be tempted to feed more than the recommended 10% of secreting organs (like a giant meal of liver at once) or you’ll risk vitamin A toxicity in your dog(s), symptoms of which can be lethargy, weight loss, constipation, stiffness, limping, and loss of appetite. Feeding a meal consisting entirely of liver is also a pretty sure way of causing cannon butt…

As far as getting the best organ deal for your buck – it pays to shop around and compare prices between different online raw food retailers, co-ops (if there are any in your area, unfortunately there aren’t any here in NC), farms, and grocery stores. 

3. Raw Meaty Bones (RMBs)

RMBs make up another 10% of the raw diet and are great for keeping your dog’s teeth clean.

However, toothless dogs or those with weak teeth should not eat whole raw meaty bones. It’s best to grind them in that case if you’re planning on making your own meals (less expensive than pre-made commercial raw meals). A powerful meat grinder that’s able to grind chicken leg quarters and turkey necks is the Weston Butcher Series #32.

If it’s in your budget, you can of course purchase pre-made raw meals. They’ll consist of the perfect balance of muscle meat, RMBs and organs, all ground up. Some brands such as Darwin’s also add fruits & veggies.

One way to tell if you’re over-or underfeeding RMBs is to look at your dog’s poop – if it’s too runny, you’re not feeding enough bone. If it’s too dry, you’re feeding too much.

The emphasis definitely lies on the word “raw”. Unlike cooked bones, raw bones are pliable and soft. They don’t splinter like cooked bones and keep a dog’s pearlies nice and clean.

Australian Veterinarian Dr. Ian Billinghurst writes of the benefits of raw meaty bones in his book “Give Your Dog A Bone”. Check out my review of his book if you’re interested:

What counts as RMBs?

How to feed RMBs

As a general rule of thumb, RMBs should be slightly larger than your dog’s mouth so that he’s forced to crunch down on them a few times and doesn’t swallow it whole.

If you know that your dog is a gulper, hold the RMB with one hand and let your dog chew on the other end. This has the added benefit of teaching your dog polite manners around food in general and that it’s ok for us humans to touch their food.

RMBs I feed

My pups have had the pleasure of crunching down on the following raw meaty bones:

Chicken leg quarters
Chicken feet
Chicken wings
Turkey necks
Turkey thighs
Duck necks
Duck heads
Duck frames
Bone-in pork chops
Lamb bones
Rabbit heads

I can feed my pups chicken wings because they’re not gulpers and are good about breaking them up with a few bites. If your dog is a gulper and a larger breed, I would pass on the wings.

Duck frames are roughly 25% meat and 75% bone and are great for medium to large size breeds. Duck is considered a cooling protein.

Chicken feet are mainly bone, meaty lamb bones are about 20% meat, and 80% bone. Both are considered to be warming proteins. Chicken feet might not be ideal for large breeds who have a tendency of gulping. The same goes for chicken wings. They’re a good size for smaller to medium size dogs.

Chicken leg quarters are about 80% meat, and 20% bone. As mentioned above, chicken is considered to be a warming protein. They’re a good size for large dogs.

My supermarket around the corner has an awesome deal on those about once per month where I’ll get two bags of chicken leg quarters for the price of one. One bag typically costs around $8 and contains 8 leg quarters.

They do come with a bunch of skin left on them which I cut off because my pups don’t need that extra fat. It would be a good way of putting some extra pounds onto a dog who’s underweight.

Turkey necks are about 55% meat, and 45% bone. Turkey is considered to be a neutral protein. They’re a good size for medium to large size dogs.

Where I buy my RMBs 

I’m lucky and can find chicken feet at a local organic farm and turkey necks and thighs at the supermarket down the street. Of course I can also get my hands on chicken drumsticks/wings and bone-in pork chops at the supermarket. Every grocery store should carry those, really.

I’ve ordered duck necks from Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, Raw Paws Pet Food, and Raw Feeding Miami. I get duck heads and frames from Raw Feeding Miami, and have also ordered bone-in pork chops, rabbit heads and lamb bones from them.

4. Fruit/Veggies (optional)

It’s up to your personal preference whether or not you decide to add fruits & veggies to your raw dog food. Dogs don’t need them to survive, but they do have some benefits when fed in moderation, particularly dark berries and cruciferous veggies. Both are rich in phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber. They’re also said to be rich in cancer-fighting compounds.

I learned this from my homeopathic vet Dr. Charles Loops when he provided end of life support for my late pup Missy.

Cruciferous vegetables dogs can eat are:

• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Bak Choi
• Kale
• Chard
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Parsley

Other vegetables that are low in sugar and good for dogs are:

• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Yellow squash
• Shiitake mushrooms

Vegetables that are high in sugar and should be fed in moderation are:

• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Beets

Vegetables that are high in carbs and should be avoided are:

• White potatoes
• Peas

How to feed fruit/veggies

Dogs lack the enzyme necessary for breaking down plant cell walls, meaning they can’t properly digest whole plant matter. Because of this, fruits & veggies need to be fed either puréed, steamed, or very finely chopped. 

Which fruits/veggies do I feed?

I feed the following fruits & veggies in small amounts and rotate between them on a seasonal basis:

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Watermelon
• Bananas
• Apples
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Brussels sprouts
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Pumpkin puree

Final thoughts

Despite the work that goes into meal prep, it’s so much fun putting my pups’ own meals together and shopping for the different protein sources. A few necessities besides time and freezer space are cutting boards, sharp knives, and food storage containers.

As with everything in life, there’s a learning curve with meal prep. I have, for example, found that the easiest way to cut up beef lung is to use scissors and simply cut it into smaller pieces. The sponge-like consistency makes it a bit tough on knives.

If you’re interested in learning more about raw meal prep, check out my article Raw meal prep for dogs: The ultimate guide for beginners.

Are you looking for raw dog food recipes?

Introducing “20 Raw Meals for Dogs“, the raw dog food ebook for dog parents who want their pups to thrive and be the healthiest version of themselves!

Use discount code Blog for $3 off.