Feeding Guidelines

How to feed your dog

Some dogs will take to a raw diet without any need for gradual introduction. However, dogs do not generally like any sudden dietary change, and we therefore suggest that you initially feed your dog 3/4 of your normal food and 1/4 Natural Instinct, decreasing the amount over seven to ten days until you are feeding only Natural Instinct.

Bones are essential for any quality raw diet, and your dog will greatly benefit from the nutrients derived from raw bones. However you should note the following points:

• Do not feed your dog drumsticks/leg bones, or any cooked bones, as these are brittle and can splinter
• Initially, we recommend supervising your dog whilst feeding it a bone. You may also wish to first hold the bone so that you can control your dog's feeding habits, and will teach the dog to eat slowly. This will also allow you to take the bone away again if necessary, avoiding the dog trying to wolf the bone down
• If your dog regurgitates a bone, don't worry! It may simply have been too big!
• Feed bones after exercise
• If you have more than one dog, it is a good idea to give them bones separately to avoid them becoming possessive
• Always wash your hands after handling raw bones and meat

How much should I feed my dog?

We set out below a general guide to demonstrate the amount of Natural Instinct an averagely active dog should eat per day. In addition, your dog can enjoy our lamb bones or treats a few times a week. If your dog is not used to eating bones, we recommend starting with a lamb bone once or twice a week.

How big is your dog?

Place your mouse over the dog most like your own.

It is generally accepted that your dog should eat around 2% to 3% of its body weight per day. Therefore a dog weighing 10kg should be eating approximately 200g of food per day.

A puppy from 8 weeks of age will require between 4% to 6% of its body weight spread over 3 or 4 meals per day until the age of about 9 months, when you may gradually decrease to the recommended adult diet.

However, this can vary tremendously from dog to dog, and only you will know whether your dog leads a particularly active or sedentary life, and you should alter the portion sizes of your dog's meals accordingly. Your dog should have a natural waist and you should be able to feel your dog’s ribcage but not see it!

Each portion of Natural Instinct is hand-made and pre-weighed at approximately 1kg (exact weight may vary slightly owing to the variations in the mix of each portion), and you can simply keep any unused portion of a bag in the fridge or freezer until next meal time. Remember that you should not re-freeze any portion if it has already completely defrosted.  You can however re-freeze any partially defrosted product provided it is still chilled and/or crystalline (for example if you wish to stuff the food into a KONG product for your dog to enjoy).