Mixing Raw and Kibble: Benefits of Adding Kibble to a Raw Diet
While feeding your dog a raw diet has nutritional perks, it also comes with challenges. Pet parents who feed their dogs a raw diet may struggle to safely store dog food while traveling. It can also be challenging to ensure your dog receives all the nutrients they need from homemade raw diets alone. The good news is, mixing raw and kibble can help address these challenges and promote good nutrition and overall health within your pet. Keep reading to discover our top tips for combining these two foods.
Benefits of Mixing Raw and Kibble
Adding a high quality kibble to raw dog food, whether it be homemade or purchased, offers some solutions to many challenges pet parents face when feeding their pets strictly a raw diet. Below we’ll explore some benefits to incorporating kibble into a raw diet.
Enhanced Convenience, Especially While Traveling
Unlike raw food, kibble doesn’t need refrigeration, making it an ideal choice for on-the-go adventures. It’s easily portable and simple to portion, offering peace of mind knowing your dog is receiving consistent nutrition while exploring new places. This combination simplifies mealtime logistics, letting you focus on enjoying your journey with your four-legged companion.
Relying on a high quality kibble for longer vacations (or shorter weekend trips) is a simple way to ensure your dog is enjoying high quality meals that you can easily pack when traveling.
Before heading out on your next adventure, begin gradually adding kibble to your dog’s meals. This will make it easier for your pup to transition to kibble while on vacation, helping them avoid stomach issues that can arise from switching dog food too quickly.
Balancing Nutritional Gaps
When fed exclusively, many high quality kibbles offer your pet a complete and balanced meal, which takes the guesswork out of what can be complex meal planning sessions. This ensures your pet is getting the nutrients they need. Our pets have different nutritional needs than we do, so it’s crucial that we have a solid understanding of what their bodies need and then feed a diet to them that delivers.
Mixing kibble and raw food can be a savvy strategy for filling potential nutritional gaps in your dog’s diet. While homemade raw diets can be nutritious, they require meticulous levels of research and planning to ensure your dog receives all their essential nutrients.
A high quality kibble, on the other hand, is expertly formulated to offer a balanced mix of vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
More Cost Effective
When it comes to feeding your furry companion, cost is often a significant consideration. Dog owners who feed their pups an exclusively raw diet typically spend considerably more money on food for their pup than dog parents who feed kibble.
Of course price isn’t the only consideration to keep in mind when looking for a diet for your pet. The quality of the ingredients, especially proteins, is key as well. Offering your dog an all natural kibble that utilizes high quality proteins can be a great nutritional complement to the raw diet you might be feeding, while being a bit easier on your wallet.
If you want to find a happy medium and feed a mix of raw and kibble, look for a high quality, all natural kibble that delivers it’s nutrition from whole foods without the need for synthetic vitamins or minerals. Incorporating an all natural kibble alongside raw can help you save money without sacrificing quality.
Tips for Transitioning to a Raw and Kibble Diet
Opt for a High Quality Kibble
When choosing a kibble to pair with raw food, it’s important to look for a kibble that will be a natural complement to the raw diet your dog has been eating. We suggest opting for a high-quality, 100% natural option, like Nature’s Logic. Recipes that are crafted with premium proteins, carefully selected fruits & vegetables and no artificial preservatives ensure your beloved pet gets the nutrients they need with no synthetics added.
Entice Picky Eaters With Raw Toppers
For dog owners dealing with picky eaters, adding raw food as a topper to their kibble can be a game-changer. These toppers typically enhance the flavor and aroma of their meal and provide a variety of textures and tastes, promoting a more appealing meal for your dog.
Transition Gradually
If you’re looking to introduce something new to your dog’s diet, whether it be raw food or kibble, remember that dogs can be sensitive to dietary changes, and a sudden shift in their food can lead to digestive upset, including diarrhea or vomiting. Slowly introducing your dog to their new food combination allows their digestive system to adapt and helps prevent discomfort. It also allows you to monitor how your dog reacts to the new diet and make adjustments as needed.
Feed Proper Portions
When you begin adding kibble to raw food, it’s important to keep portion control in mind. Striking the right balance is essential to prevent overfeeding or under nourishing your pet. Work with your vet to assess your dog’s individual needs, considering factors such as age, size, activity level, and overall health.
If you have any questions about transitioning your pet to a mix of raw food and kibble, contact your veterinarian.
Optimizing Your Pet’s Nutrition
Including a mix of high quality, all natural kibble and raw dog food is a great way to optimize your dog’s nutrition. Curious where you can find 100% all natural kibble? Check out our store locator.
