FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If your dog is already fed raw food, then you can switch straight over to Raw Paw, no problem.
If your dog is currently on dry or wet food, then we advise you to introduce Raw Paw gradually over the first week. This allows the stomach's pH levels time to adapt to the new food, aids healthy digestion and helps to avoid upset stomaches.
We recommend that you feed your dog 25% of the required daily portion of Raw Paw, along with their old food on days 1 and 2. This should increase to 50% Raw Paw on days 3 and 4, followed by 75% on days 5 and 6. By day 7 your dog will be fully transitioned on to 100% Raw Paw.
If you are new to raw feeding we will provide you with a switch over diet plan leaflet with your first order. This will suggest the daily food intake, based on your dogs age, weight and activity.
Alternatively, you can switch your dog straight on to Raw Paw, with or without skipping a meal, it's personal preference.
How do I change my dog over to a Raw Paw diet?
Simply put ...yes they can eat raw food, no they won’t get ill!
Raw Paw is suitable for all shapes and sizes of dogs, it’s the closest you can get to a dog's natural diet. Dogs are meant to eat raw meat, their bodies and digestive systems are made for it with their hinged jaw structure, canine teeth, and short intestines. Not to mention the fact that their stomach acid can dissolve fresh bones in under an hour. There's no need to worry about pathogens, salmonella or bacteria because a dog's entire biology is meant for raw meat. It's what they eat in the wild. The enzymes in their saliva and stomach acid enable them to break down raw food easily, their stomachs are bacteria neutralising machines!
Can dogs eat raw food, won’t they get ill?
Raw Paw is a biologically appropriate diet, based on the foods that dogs would eat in the wild. It's the diet that mother nature intended.
Click here to see the numerous benefits Raw Paw can offer.
If you live locally and would like a couple of free samples for your dog to try, please get in touch.
Why should I put my dog on Raw Paw, what benefits will I see?
Should I cook or heat up Raw Paw?
No, we don't recommend this.
Cooking raw dog food not only destroys the vital nutrients, but it's also dangerous. Raw Paw contains bone and although it's been minced, heat treating the food could cause the small bone chunks to become hard and sharp, and they may splinter.
Raw Paw seems more expensive than kibble, I'm struggling to justify the cost?
This can be true, as with most raw dog foods. There are a few different ways of looking at it:
*We use real ingredients ...fresh meat, offal and veg to provide a high quality balanced food, free from bulking agents, fillers and preservatives. As the saying goes you get what you pay for!
*As with our bodies, it's a lifestyle choice ...you get out, what you put in. The long term benefits you will see in your dogs health will hopefully reduce the chances of illness/health problems, which in turn should save you money on vet bills/medication throughout your dog's life.
*As a dog owner, it's a conscious decision of ours what they are fed. Dogs can't choose their own food, they rely on us to make the best decision for them, as their guardians.
Can I feed my dog raw bones?
Yes, you can!
Bones contain highly important nutrients and are extremely effective in maintaining good oral hygiene, as they clean the teeth and gums. Raw bones are fine to feed, but cooked bones aren't because they can splinter.
Raw Paw is a complete food so you don't need to add bone from a nutritional point of view, but they're great for treats. A few simple rules regarding bones; don't feed a bone that's too big as it could crack your dog's teeth and always supervise when feeding small bones, check your dog is crunching them and not trying to swallow whole! See our range of treats available.
My dog has allergies can I feed him/her Raw Paw?
Raw diets can help with allergies, from itchy skin to gastrointestinal problems. Click here to see what benefits it can have.
We have five flavours of Raw Paw and all are 100% natural, no additives, preservatives or artificial ingredients. Four of our flavours have a combination of two meats in them. If your dog has an allergy to a particular meat, we can advise which flavours would be best for them.
Which size RawPaw tub should I buy, 500g or 1000g?
This depends on how much Raw Paw your dog/s eat per day. The 1000g tubs are suitable for dogs eating 250g plus per day. The 500g tubs are best for dogs eating less than 250g per day, this ensures the food is still fresh by the time it's eaten.
How long will Raw Paw last once defrosted?
Raw Paw should always be defrosted in the fridge, so it's best to take out the day before you need it. Once defrosted, it will last up to 4 days, providing the lid is resealed properly and refrigerated at all times. You should never use the microwave defrost setting or refreeze Raw Paw once thawed.
How long can Raw Paw stay frozen?
We put a use by date of 6 months on all Raw Paw when it's made and packaged up fresh, before freezing. This date is on each container along with storage instructions.
Does Raw Paw contain vegetables and why?
Yes, Raw Paw is made up of 15% vegetables across all flavours. We believe that dogs need a little bit of veg in their diet, it provides ruffage and mimics what they would eat in the wild, through the stomach contents of their prey.
How do I handle the raw meat?
The same as you would with meat for human consumption....always wash your hands and all utensils/surfaces used during serving.
Raw Paw containers are resealable and should be stored on a separate shelf in your fridge away from human food. It's wise to remove your dog's bowl once empty and wash straight away, especially if you have young children. Our stomachs aren't as strong as our canines, so you should always maintain good hygiene when dealing with Raw Paw.
Where does Raw Paw meat come from?
At Raw Paw we only use human grade British farmed meat, sourced locally where possible.
Raw Paw is DEFRA approved and regulated by APHA.
Where is Raw Paw stocked?
Small ranges of Raw Paw are stocked in the below local stores:
Raw Paw Store, Liverpool. L9 7AU.
Good Dogs Daycare, Preston. PR5 4AR.
Ribble Valley Paws, Clitheroe. BB7 2EU.
How much Raw Paw should my dog eat?
Take a look at our easy to use food calculator that calculates your dog's ideal daily food intake and starting price, you just need to enter your dog's weight.
For adult dogs we recommend feeding between 2-3% of body weight.
2% if your dog is overweight or not very active, 2.5% if your dog is a healthy weight and 3% if your dog is highly active or underweight.
For puppies it's slightly different because they grow so much and require different amounts at different times during their development.
We recommend feeding... 8% of their body weight at 0-3 months, 6% at 3-6 months, 4.5% at 6-9 months and 4% at 9+ months.
Again our helpful food calculator (to the left of our webpage) will work this out for you.
It's important to remember that all dogs are different and that our food calculator should be used as a guideline only. You may wish to feed more or less in order to achieve a weight that you are happy with. Some dogs are naturally very lean and need a larger food intake to gain weight, while others can put on weight easily, as with humans!
The age at which a dog matures into adulthood and stops growing, also varies amongst breeds and sizes. For example, small breeds might be fully grown at 10-12 months, where as a larger breeds will continue to grow until 18 months or older. Generally speaking, the larger the breed the longer they take to develop.
Once you believe that your dog has stopped growing and has filled out, you should start to feed the recommended 2-3% of adult body weight.
How is Raw Paw packaged?
We use two sizes of clear plastic containers, the smaller tubs hold 500g and the larger tubs hold 1000g
We are hoping to move away from plastic and switch to a more Eco friendly container soon. However, our plastic tubs do have some benefits...
*They are a very hygienic way to store and handle raw meat.
*They are resealable and shouldn't leak too much when defrosted.
*Being clear plastic, they are 100% recyclable.
Unfortunately Raw Paw tubs can not be re-used for more Raw Paw due to hygiene reasons, we ask you to thoroughly rinse any old containers and put them in your recycle bin or take to a local recycling plant, so that they can be processed in to new plastic.